I Am His
by Kanan
Summary: Sequel to my story "he is mine". Some time goes by with the same old routine, but is it enough for Hisoka and Koneko Tsuzuki? A bizarre event may make their relationship stronger... or tear it apart.
1. Chapter 1

I am His.

(A sequel to my story "He is Mine". Once again, Yami no Matsuei does not belong to me; this is just a harmless (and hopefully cute) fanfic! Hope you all like it! 3)

There are many things in this world that remain constant, and we cling to them, our routines, hoping that nothing changes and ruins what good we can hold onto. Although, sometimes… change isn't such a bad thing.

--

Quite some time has passed since that lonely day in the rain, and also since my near-death experience at the hand of that thief, but now things are better! Almost three whole years have gone by and I couldn't be happier! …Well… most of the time, anyway…

You see, while we're here together in Hisoka's little home, nothing could go wrong, but when Hisoka leaves the house to go to school or even just shopping, he comes home with the saddest look on his face. I try all I can to make him feel all better, but… I'm just a cat… and in reality, there is very little I can do for him.

…Heh. I'm glad cats don't stay depressed that long! Oh! It's nearly time to start the day! I got to be lazy and slept in nearly the whole weekend, which makes me a happy kitty, but now it's time to get on with our routine! Yes, Hisoka and I have a routine now, and it's quite enjoyable a lot of the time. Hee hee~ It starts when Hisoka's alarm is about a minute away from going off, but I carefully sneak out from under Hisoka's arm, sneak across the floor to turn it off. Hisoka stirs, seeming to know that I've left, and reaches out for me. But, I stay just out of arms reach. He groans frustrated, so when he reaches out again, I like his fingertips to apologize. At this, Hisoka opens his eyes, still tired, but still he smiles at me and pets my head.

"Morning, you baka…" He speaks harsh words to me, sometimes, but in such a soft and loving way… I love that about him! It's so cuuuu-! Uh-oh, he's trying to fall back asleep! But I can fix that… I walk over and lick his nose, which makes him open his eyes again and within minutes of bugging him, he is up and getting ready to leave. You know, I think Hisoka likes staying here, instead of going out. I like it when he's home with me, too! As he stands in the bathroom to brush his hair, I lightly rub against his leg. He gives me a teeny smile but continues with what he's doing. It isn't much attention, not like it used to be when I was younger, but it's still something, and I cherish it! I guess. Anyway, I just keep circling his legs and rub against him until he sighs and picks me up.

Obviously I'm bigger than I used to be, but even though I'm heavier now, Hisoka doesn't seem to mind hauling me around. Often times, he'll let me ride on his shoulders, and when that happens I _always_ tease him by cuddling his face and licking his ear. Every time I do that, Hisoka blushes, but I don't really understand why. It's a human reaction that I don't really get, but it's something that the humans on the tv do a lot! Oh, right, Hisoka bought a little tv for us! He said it was mostly so I wont be lonely being home for so long every day, which was very nice of him! So, as per our routine, we sat on the little sofa (also new) and shared breakfast as Hisoka watched the news.

I don't really like the news. Not only is it boring, but most of the things they show and talk about it negative. I can tell this… Human emotions… Hisoka's been teaching me about them and how to recognize them! Why? Well, at first I thought it was so I would know when Hisoka's irritated so I don't bug him and make him madder, but … I don't know… Could that be the only reason? As the news plays, Hisoka explains what they're talking about to me, so I can kind of understand. Understand… does it make Hisoka feel less lonely to do this? To treat me like a human? So that it's like… he's having a normal conversation with someone like himself instead of… just a cat? Eh, either way, I'm just glad to be able to hear my Hisoka's sweet voice… 3

All too soon, however, the moment is gone, and Hisoka was finishing preparing for his classes. As he loads his bag, he looks up at me, still on the sofa, and with a piece of granola in my mouth.

"You be a good kitty, you hear?"

I nod.

"I put some extra food in your bowl, but don't go through it all at once, because that's all you get until I come home."

I nod again. It's a shame, since I like to eat, but it's okay. I know where the treat are!

"And," Hisoka starts again, giving me a wary look. Almost like he's reading my mind, he finishes, "Stay out of the treats!"

Awww… Sad Tsuzuki koneko…

Hisoka finally finishes and straightens out his collar. That's when he noticed me eyeing the remote.

"You can change it now, just remember to turn it off when you're done." I nod again. Hisoka taught me how to use the tv remote, so I lean over and press some buttons. To anyone else, it would look like I'm just pressing random buttons, but soon, my favorite soap opera comes up and I snuggle back against the couch to watch.

"Soaps again? They'll rot your brain, cat…" Leaning down, Hisoka gives me a wonderful gift~ a kiss on the head! In return, I give him a lick on the cheek, which makes his face brighten up. This makes me so happy… 3 However, once again, it's over too soon and Hisoka is at the door, slipping his shoes on.

"Bye, Tsuzuki! I'll be home soon!" He calls before leaving.

Soon… but not nearly soon enough…


	2. Chapter 2

I've been watching a lot of Soap operas lately… Hisoka said they'll rot my brain, but I've found them to be rather sweet and educational! In the soaps, there is betrayal, anger, sorrow… those make me cry! Well, as much as cats can cry, anyway. What I like most about them are the beautiful romance stories… Sometimes, I close my eyes and pretend it's me and Hisoka in those scenes. Me and Hisoka embracing… holding hands… kissing… But, I don't have arms to embrace with, or hands to hold with… and no way would Hisoka want to kiss me like that…

*SIGH…*

If only I were human, then maybe- Just then, I heard something on the tv that shocked and confused me.

"John, I can't take it! It's always the same old routine… It's not enough for me anymore! I need MORE, John!"

Mew? More? For the first time, I started to wonder…. Are routines bad things? On the soap, the girl was complaining about "the same old routine" and "needing more" so I got to thinking… is our routine, Hisoka's and mine, not good, either? Did Hisoka need more from me? I kept watching the soap for a while, and more and more, things started looking bad. The "routine" made the girl sad and angry and- oh no!! They broke up! That's not good at all! They were my favorite couple, but now they're not together… All this time, I've been comparing them to us… is this what is destined to happen to us, too? Soon, I would find out.

I paced around the apartment impatiently for hours, barely noticing my usually-insatiable appetite, until I could finally hear my Hisoka coming towards the door. It was time for my test! I quickly get into my usual spot by the door and when it opened, I mew cheerfully, flipping my tail about. But… Hisoka didn't seem to notice me at all. Thinking that maybe I wasn't being loud enough, I repeat the actions, only to get the same result.

No… was… was Hisoka ignoring me? I hadn't done anything bad lately or made a mess anywhere… could it be… that we were heading down the same path as in the soap? Was the routine to blame? Hisoka went into the bathroom and I heard him slip into the tub. I wasn't being acknowledged at all. I lie on the kitchen floor wondering how I could make things better and get attention until I could hear the water draining and the soft call of my name. A bit excited at finally being noticed, I jump up and scurry off to the bathroom where Hisoka is drying his hair. I rub his leg affectionately, but he doesn't so much as look down at me.

'I'm surprised at you, Tsuzuki… you usually follow me right in here whether I want you to or not."

Whether… or not? This kind of depresses me and I lower my head to show it. When I stop rubbing against him, he looks down, water slowly dripping from his bangs. He asks me what is wrong… he doesn't understand, and I don't know how I could possibly tell him… I want him to know my feelings! I don't want us to be like that ex-couple on the tv! But, I'm just a cat… A cat….who feels very alone.

BUT! I am not ready to throw in the towel just yet! Like I said, cats don't stay depressed for very long! But, hmm… How could I make things better between us? How could I show Hisoka my feelings? Before I can come up with something, I'm hoisted up and perched on Hisoka's thin shoulders. It's warm up there, a little damp, still, but I don't mind. As per routine, I lick at his cheek, and he blushes. At least that hasn't changed.

I continue to think as we eat dinner and flip through channels on the tv. And then I see something. I nuzzle Hisoka's cheek and mewl at him until he looks at me. It takes him a minute, but he eventually guesses what I want and changes the channel back. On the screen is a scene of a boy giving a girl a flower, and the girl blushes, smiling. So… a blush is a good thing? That's hopeful! I think I've finally got a good idea! For the rest of the night, I follow routine, but when Hisoka leaves the next day, I head out through a secret hole in the wall and get something for Hisoka. When he walks in the house after another stressful day, he sighs and sets his bag down.

"Tsuzuki, I'm ho-" He stops mid-word and looks down at the floor. Dusting almost the entire kitchen floor is dirt and bits of grass, and then he looks at me. I'm sitting in my usual spot, give or take a few degrees, looking up lovingly, tail whipping… with a dandelion in my mouth and dirt still falling from where I yanked it from the ground. Hisoka is quiet for a very long time, just staring with his jaw unhinged slightly. He looks at the mess, then me, then back at the mess… this is getting redundant. I tilt my head and blink, and that seems to break him out of his stupor. The expression he has on now is one of frustration…

"Tsuzuki, you idiot! Look at the mess you made!" Hisoka stomps over, which startles me and cause me to back up against a corner. Oh, he's not going for me… I see him go to the closet for a broom and he spends about ten minutes cleaning up. Then, irritably, he looks in my direction. I almost feel like cowering under his glare.

"Tsuzuki, come."

Hesitantly, I crawl across the floor to him, the plant still in my mouth, and when I get close, he picks me up. He just stares at me for a while with a disgruntled look. I know this emotion… he's angry with me. But, to try and quell his fury, I lift my head and motion the flower towards him. He looks confused as well as angry and takes the plant from me.

"Tsuzuki, that's gross… why did you track dirt in here, and why bring in a weed, at that? It's dirty!"

Weed? I thought it was a flower… Now I just feel dumb… I made Hisoka mad instead of happy… I lower my head, ears going back, and Hisoka sighs. Hisoka doesn't say much after that; he just takes me into the bathroom and washes me in the sink. Once that's done, he takes a towel and starts to dry off. That's when someone knocks on the door. Sighing, Hisoka sets me down and goes to answer it.

"Hello, Kurosaki." Hisoka's landlord Tatsumi is at the door, smiling in a way that meant only one thing… it was rent day.

"Hello, Tatsumi-san. Give me a minute and I'll get your rent…" Hisoka walks off to one of the next rooms to get it, and in the meantime, Tatsumi walks inside and sees me, sulking under the towel.

"Hello, Tsuzuki. How are you?" He reaches out to pet me, but I just scoot out of his reach. "Mm…? What's the matter? Don't you recognize me?"

"I'm not sure about that, but right now, he's in trouble and he knows it." Hisoka says, coming back with an envelope.

"Oh? What did he do?"

"I get home and he's tracked dirt all over the place! He had a weed in his mouth, too… so now I have to brush his teeth."

"Oh? Why would he do that?"

"Who knows… he is an idiot, after all!" I shrink even further under the towel, which does not go unnoticed by Tatsumi.

"Kurosaki… I've known Tsuzuki for a while, just like you, and sometimes he keeps me company. And from our time together, I know he's not one to do something without a purpose."

"He's a cat." Hisoka states, so matter-of-factly. I'm just a stupid, good-for-nothing cat…

"Hmm… Tell me, what kind of plant did he bring in here?"

"A dandelion."

"Ah…" Tatsumi chuckles. "I don't think he meant to make you angry, Kurosaki. Maybe he was just trying to make you happy by bringing you a flower!" He says with the biggest smile on his face. Somehow, Tatsumi gets me a little better than my human does… I wish Hisoka understood me, though… He's the one I really want to understand me…

"A dandelion isn't a flower, it's a weed. It's garbage."

"Yes, but do you honestly think Tsuzuki knows the difference? He's stuck indoors nearly all day… Maybe you should teach him the difference."

"Ah…" At that, Hisoka stopped to think about it. I mean, how was I supposed to know it wasn't a flower? It sure looked like one. Tatsumi patted Hisoka's head and left with his money, and Hisoka mulled over that as he cooked. Now and then, he would look over at me, but I dared not move an inch les I do something else to anger him. Hisoka would be scary when he's mad… He soon finishes cooking and brings both of our food to the couch, sitting down softly next to me. The air around him seems to be calmer, but I'm still hesitant. That is, until he reaches out. I flinch, but when he lays his hand over the towel and softly strokes, I start to relax. He sighs.

"You can come out of there, Tsuzuki… I'm not mad anymore… I want to show you something." Slowly I crawl out and see that there's a magazine on my partner's lap. He's flipping through a few pages. When he finds a good one, he motions me over, pointing to flowers.

"These… are flowers. The little yellow one you brought home may look similar, but they're very different.. Flowers are often more colorful."

Colorful… I wonder what kind of flower Hisoka likes…

"But…" This made me look up, and I saw a sad expression. "You don't need to… get me any flowers. It's not like I've ever gotten them before…"

That decided it. I knew what I had to do.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, I decided to do things a little differently. I got up even earlier than usual, slipped out of Hisoka's arms, though it was warm and comfortable there, and put a few things together. First, I got a blank piece of paper from Hisoka's little box and a crayon and started making little marks all over it. On the tv, couples would sometimes give each other paper. But, they never show what's on them, so maybe they're scribbles like I'm making! I hope so! Next, I get one of Hisoka's magazines and open it to a page with lots of flowers. These I set next to his alarm clock. With five minutes to go before it is set to go off, I quickly hop into a box of food and pull out a small breakfast bar, which Hisoka usually has for breakfast. Then, I head over to him, turn off his alarm and nuzzle his cheek.

Hisoka groans a little, like usually does, but that's okay. I get closer and start licking at his face and neck. For some reason, this makes him moan some more… is that a good or bad thing?

"Mm… Tsu…"

Oh, he's calling my name! Since I didn't hear "baka" in there, he must not mind what I'm doing! I like that! So, I continue to lick at his neck, watching his face turn pink and listening to his soft gasps and moans. Then, I meow and his eyes start to open. A few seconds later of silence and blinking, Hisoka's eyes go wide and he sits upright quickly. It startles me, making me jump back a bit… what's wrong? Hisoka covers his mouth and pants, face still red, staring at me. No… he's not necessarily staring at ME.

Mew?

Finally, Hisoka looks my way and I mew at him and lift up his breakfast. But he seems more concerned with something else, and hurriedly runs off to the bathroom. Huh… well, when you gotta go, you gotta go, ne? When he comes out, he's much calmer, and I try to get his attention again. Again, he looks down, and I lift his breakfast. I'm so happy, cause he picked me right up and took it. Tentatively, he kissed my head and lead me to the sofa, plopping down heavily. He's spacing out again, and I mew and tilt my head as if to ask him what is wrong. But he shakes his head and pets my little ears.

"Don't worry… I just… had a strange dream…"

Ah… Well, I hope it wasn't a bad one! I snuggle him affectionately, and he blushes.

"Yeah…. It's silly… I mean, you're a cat… not a…" But he shakes his head before he can finish, and starts to eat. That's when I remember my presents to him and jump down. I drag them across the floor and meow. He tilts his head at me for a minute, then smiles a little.

"For me?" I nod.

"Thanks… And even more for not leaving a mess for me this time." His eyes soften, smiling a little wider, and in this light, it just makes him… look wonderful… If I could blush, I'd probably be doing it now… I just… I want so much to kiss him… But… Shaking my head of that thought, I jump up and snuggle next to his leg to share breakfast.

I'm glad he liked his wakeup call, but that's just the beginning! I still have something else up my sleeve… When he turns to leave for school, he stops suddenly and looks down at me. I tilt my head, wondering what he's gonna say… but he shakes his head and leans down to pet me.

"Tsuzuki… Don't make another mess, you hear? Even if it's for me."

Gotcha! I nod my head and smile at him, mewing happily. Hisoka looks pleased by that as he stands up and leaves. Time to go through with the rest of my plan! I want Hisoka to come home to a nice clean place- well, it's clean, already, but I can still do more! So, I get one of the cloths from a box and rub it over different areas in the apartment: on the tv, the couch, the tatami mat, the kitchen floor… Once I'm satisfied with that I sit down in front of my soap opera with a snack in hopes of seeing the two main couple get back together.

At first, it's disappointing… The girl is avoiding the boy, and even when he begs her to forgive him, he wont. At one point, it looks like things are getting really bad… Ah! No!! The boy was just in a tragic car accident! I stand up and meow at the screen, wanting him to get up, but he's not moving… The girl was there, too, and she saw it happen… She's at his side in an instant, crying and begging him to get up. No… first they break up, and now he's dying? So many people in soap operas get hit by cars… why don't they learn from each other's mistakes and stay out of the street?!

But wait… She's confessing her love for him… He's lying on a hospital bed at the end of the episode, and she's begging him not to die… She really does love him… Is that what it takes for people to get back together? …I don't think I like that. I'll stick to my own plan, thanks. Oh! It's getting late already! I didn't realize how long I'd been watching tv! Hisoka will be home soon, and I still have one more thing to do! I quickly shut the tv off and slip out of the apartment. However, as I get close to the door, I'm suddenly picked up from behind. Looking back, though, I recognize the one holding me. Tatsumi smiles down at me.

"And where are we going this afternoon? Out for a stroll?"

I mew at him, trying to look cute. At first, I think he's going to put me back in Hisoka's apartment, but instead, he smiles and opens the door for me.

"Just be sure not to play in the street, all right?"

I nod my head, which makes him smile more, and run off to do what I need to do.

The other day, I remember going a few blocks down the street and finding that weed. But if I remember correctly, nearby there was an old broken fence with a sweet smell coming from behind it. Do flowers smell good? I hope I can find some flowers over there! But uh oh… I have to cross a street to get to it… This isn't good… If I cross it, I could get hit by a car, just like in the soap! I don't want that to happen… I don't want to get hurt, and I don't wanna make my Hisoka cry! But what can I do? I need to find Hisoka a flower… one that will make him happy and not ignore me again! But…

"Aw… what's wrong, kitty? Want to cross the street?"

I look up and instantly feel confused. Standing above me is a boy who I don't know… but he sort of looks like Hisoka… The only differences are that he's wearing a different uniform and his hair is darker. Still, he doesn't seem like a bad person, so I meow at him softly. Yes, I would like to cross!

"Hee hee! What a cute kitty! Well then… I'll help you!" And just like that, he picks me up, holds me against his shoulder, and crosses the street. I'm very anxious as he carries me across, but I don't see any cars… We get to the other side in no time, and I lick the boy's cheek as a thank you.

"Aw, you're welcome, kitty! You be careful now!" With that, he puts me down and goes on his way. How come he looks like Hisoka…? I take a minute to think about that before I remember why I was there, and I quickly run towards the fence. Looking in through the cracks at the bottom, I see what I'm after, a bunch of pretty, colorful, good-smelling flowers! I carefully slip in and wander around. What kind of flowers does Hisoka like…? I never actually found that out, but I suppose as long as they're not weeds, he'll like anything, right? So, I just start picking random flowers out of the ground, shaking off the dirt so I don't bring it home with me.

As I'm about to pick a pretty red flower, however, I hear a hiss from behind me, and it sends a shiver up my spine. I quickly turn around, the flowers hanging from my mouth, and come face to face with a black cat with white marks below its eyes, and behind him were several other mean looking cats. I try to mew nicely to them, but they growl and hiss at me, anyway. This isn't good… why are these cats trying to pick on me? I'm only here trying to do something harmless and nice for my human… Once more, I try to reason with them, but the black one up fronts doesn't listen and jumps at me. I manage to jump out of the way before he can get me, but he charges again, knocking into me. I fall down, some of the flowers falling out of my mouth in the process. No… I have to get out of here! So I did just that, I turned and ran.

I didn't have to look back to know that those cats were following me… I could hear them hissing at me, and it was frightening! I just closes my eyes and ran as fast as I could, trying to get back home safely. I was chased in circles for a while, and then, it seemed like I lost them! I slowed down, relieved, but that was my biggest mistake. The black one came out of nowhere, jumped on me, and started lashing out at me. I tried to fight back, and managed to hold my own for a while, but then the others showed up, and I was being bitten, scratched and thrown about all over the place. It hurt so much… I'd never felt so much pain before… I wanted to cry… no, more than that, I just wanted to survive, so I could see Hisoka again… As the black cat's claws slashed at one of my front paws, I couldn't help but let out a loud screech. Hisoka…. For just a moment, I thought I could hear him, see him…. but then all there was was darkness everywhere, and pain, and red…

--

Hisoka was just walking home from school, tired and frustrated at having to deal with so much homework, he was ignoring most everything else. He just wanted to get home, make a cup of tea and snuggle up on the sofa with Tsuzuki… Hisoka nearly blushed as he thought that. But why…? Why did Tsuzuki make him feel so good all the time? If he were a human, it seem awkward… wouldn't it? Is it comforting because he wasn't a real person? He wasn't sure… All he knew was that he was almost home and he couldn't wait to be there. But, as he was about to round the block, so close to home, he heard a noise which made him stop in his tracks. It was a loud, painful screech.. At first, he couldn't fathom what it was, but something about it seemed familiar. He wasn't sure why he was so curious about it, but his feet started moving on their own, following the sound of the noises. They were getting louder, and more and more, they sounded like cat noises. Cat…? !!

Running quickly, nearly dropping his book bag, Hisoka rounded another corner at the end of the block and had to stop dead. There, not 30 feet ahead, a group of cats was mauling a brown blob. Somehow, Hisoka knew… That blob could be only one thing.

"Tsuzuki!!"

The stray cats looked up, surprised at hearing the yell and most of them ran away when Hisoka ran up towards them. The black one refused to stop, however, and Hisoka had to swing his bag to get it to back off. It seemed to glare and hissed before running off. Panting from his sprint, Hisoka looked down to check on his friend, only to find him in worse condition than he had expected. Tsuzuki was lying on his side on the concrete, some fur missing, bite marks and scratches everywhere, even a bite taken out of one of his ears, and he wasn't moving. Blood was starting to leak out of him at an alarming rate… I kneel down by him and lightly pet him. He's so mangled…

"Tsuzuki…? Hey, Tsuzuki… g-get up… it's time to go home…" For a minute he didn't respond at all, but then his eyes weakly opened.

"Tsuzuki…" Tsuzuki's body shook, like it was taking all the energy he had just to life his head. It broke Hisoka's heart… Then, Tsuzuki mewed quietly and lifted up a small blue flower that he had been protecting. This just hurt Hisoka more… Tsuzuki had gotten attacked while trying to get a flower for him… Hisoka reached out and took the flower, then petted Tsuzuki's head.

"You stupid… stupid…. Wonderful…" That last one made Tsuzuki smile ever so softly, just before his head fell back down, eyes closed. Hisoka gasped and called out for him again and again, but he didn't respond. Afraid of losing him, Hisoka quickly tucked the flower into one of his pockets and very carefully lifted the cat into his arms. Blood was getting on his uniform, but he didn't care about that… Trying his best not to jar the hurting cat too much, Hisoka cuddled the cat against him and ran. Could he make it to the veterinary hospital before it was too late…?


	4. Chapter 4

Hisoka's voice was broken and strained when he called Watari from the veterinary hospital; it was like he had just run a marathon. But his sad tone was just as worrisome, so Watari, being the kindhearted person he was, dropped everything and headed over to meet with him. When he walked in, slightly out of breath from the sprint, he spotted Hisoka instantly—the boy was pacing the length of the lobby quickly, hands clenched together, looking terribly anxious. What startled the man more, though, was that all over his hands, on his face, and staining on his uniform… was blood. Frowning, Watari crossed the lobby in a few long strides and caught up with the boy, who jumped at the sudden sight of him in his path.

"Watari-san…" Hisoka was a mess, for sure… Besides the blood, there were heavy streams of tears flowing down over his pink cheeks coming from red, swollen eyes.

"Bon…. Here, lets sit down, okay? Before you wear a line through the carpet…" Hisoka nodded his head and let himself be led and seated in a chair. But even then, he fidgeted and kept looking up at the door the doctor had carried his friend through. Watari gave him a minute of silence before setting a hand on Hisoka's back. Hisoka was heaving…

"Bon, calm down… Take a deep breath and try to relax."

Hisoka nodded and took in a shuddering breath and then a few more. It wasn't really helping much, and Watari noticed.

"Good… just try to relax… Now, Bon, tell me what happened… Slowly."

Hisoka had tried to tell him over the phone, but every other word came out garbled and choked. The boy put his hands together again and closed his eyes, feeling more tears threaten to fall as he recalled everything.

"I was…. I was on my way home from school and- …And I heard some noises. I almost ignored them and went home, but they were so strange, I ended up going to see, anyway… There…. there were stray cats all over him… biting and scratching…! I don't even know how he gets out of the apartment, but there he was on the sidewalk, not moving! I called out, but he just…" Hisoka was having difficulty with this, but then he remembered something and Watari looked over, curiously, as the boy pulled a small flower out of his pocket.

"Tsuzuki… he gave this to me before…. Before he stopped moving altogether… He was out there because of ME! It's all my fault he's in there right now, an inch from death! He wanted to get me a flower…!" Hisoka hunched over in his seat, holding the flower tightly as he cried again. Watari frowned and rubbed the boy's back comfortingly.

"Bon, it's not your fault. Nobody could have known he would get attacked like that…" At this point, Hisoka looked up with even more pain in his eyes than Watari had seen before. But with the pain… was a deep, nagging sense of guilt.

"But I almost ignored it, Watari-san! I almost went home like nothing was wrong, and Tsuzuki would have died for sure!!"

"Bon…" Hisoka put his hands over his face and sobbed hard.

"He might die… because of me!" Watari couldn't stand to see Hisoka so upset, and he wasted not even another second before wrapping his arms around the boy and pulling him close. Hisoka didn't stiffen up like he used to… he was too upset and let himself cry loudly against the man's chest. He stayed that way for three hours.

He had calmed down quite a bit over that time, and he was finally starting to relax more… that, is, until the doctor came back. Tsuzuki wasn't with him. In an instant, Hisoka sprang up out of his seat, nearly scaring the man, but Watari rose up next and put an arm around the boy's shoulders to help keep him calm. Since Hisoka was already having difficulty speaking, Watari spoke in his place.

"So, doctor, how is the kitty doing now?"

"Well…" the doctor started, pushing up his glasses. "It took us a while the fix the little guy up. He had many external wounds which required stitching, and one bone in his front right leg was badly fractured…" Hisoka's throat was dry as he listened. He silently begged the doctor to just get on with it and say what he wanted to Hear. Will Tsuzuki make it?

"Somehow, we managed to put things back in order…" Why wouldn't he say it? "Put things in order"? Cut the crap! Just say it! Say "Tsuzuki will be fine!" …But he didn't. Watari could feel the boy's frustration and growing anxiety in the tensing of his muscles, so he looked up and politely interrupted the doctor.

"I hate to interject, but we don't need to know how _bad_ it was." He motioned down at the boy at his side, and the doctor finally saw it, too.

"…I apologize." Watari shook his head.

"It's alright. I'm sure what Bon wants to hear is something comforting. Will his best friend be okay?"

The silence that followed was all but comforting. Hisoka's chest felt tight, like his heart was clenched in a vice, and with each passing second of silence, it tightened. He thought his heart would break apart!

And just as he thought the pain was too much to bear, the doctor rose his head and spoke again.

"It's… possible." Not that it helped. Watari tightened his hold on the boy.

"Possible? That's all you can say?"

"I'm sorry I can't say more. The damage was extensive… But if he does well overnight, he stands a fairly good chance at survival." Hisoka's eyes widened at this.

"W-wait… the night? I can't take him home?!" The doctor shook his head.

"Not tonight, no. We need to keep a constant watch over him in case his condition worsens. I'm sorry."

"But… but Tsuzuki has never stayed the night away from home! I can't leave him in a strange people all alone!"

Hisoka tried to step away, but Watari's arm kept him in place. The doctor looked concerned for him, and for Tsuzuki as well, but he couldn't think of what to say. So, Watari took responsibility and stepped in front of the boy, hands placed softly on his shoulders.

"Bon, listen… Tsuzuki is hurt and he needs the doctors right now. I know you're worried, but if we don't let him be treated now, he doesn't stand as good a chance." It was a rather blunt way of putting it, and the possibility of losing him made the color temporarily fade from Hisoka's cheeks. He did understand, but…

"A-all right… but… is it okay if I see him before I go?"

"Mm?" The doctor rose his head.

"To… say goodnight." The doctor gave it some thought before nodding his head and leading both of the worried visitors back into the kennel. There were other recovering pets there, including two puppies, a few birds, other cats, a ferret… and then, there was the one Hisoka cared about more than anything.

"Tsuzuki…" Hisoka rushed over and called his name, but Tsuzuki was highly medicated and bandaged all over. The boy nearly broke out into tears again, until the blonde adult set a hand on his head. Taking a minute to wipe his tears away, Hisoka looked up at the doctor.

"Can I pick him up? Please?"

"I'm afraid not." The doctor replied. "Not, yet, anyways. But you can pet him."

The doctor opened the cage for him and Hisoka stuck his hand inside. He softly stroked the fur on his head between his ears, one of them bandaged. Shaking fingers softly trailed over the non-injured ear with no response. The fact that he was so quiet and so still caused the vice to tighten in his chest.

"Oh, Tsuzuki…" With more tears falling over his cheeks, Hisoka stood just a bit higher and placed a soft kiss on Tsuzuki's head and reluctantly pulled back. Just as he was moving away, tiny, weak purple irises became visible through partly open eyes and just in time to see the boy wipe his eyes again. He tried to mew, to ask why his Hisoka was crying, to comfort him, but he felt too weak to do anything but stare. He was so tired… And the last thing he heard before the darkness claimed him once again was the quiet, sorrow-filled voice of his human.

"I'm sorry… Goodbye…"


	5. Chapter 5

--Tsuzuki--

Hisoka's words stuck with me all night long… My whole body hurt so much, I thought I would die, and strange people wearing white kept coming in and touching me! What was going on? What kind of place was I in, I wondered. But more importantly, where was Hisoka? Every time those strangers came in, I called out for him, but Hisoka never came for me. Why, when I was so scared and lonely, when I wanted Hisoka there more than anything, wasn't he there…? I thought about that all night, trying to take my mind off the pain, even though the wanting hurt me even more.

In the morning, I lie silently on the freezing tabletop as the strangers poked and prodded… By then, I was more used to it, and was honestly too tired to care. They talked amongst themselves, but I didn't care about that, either. I only cared about Hisoka and where he was. Had… I upset him somehow? Why hadn't he come for me? My mind drifted back to the soap opera I had been watching and it made frown. In that couple's case, everything worked out after one of them got hurt… I was hurt, too… so why wasn't it the same for me and Hisoka? Where was my happy ending?

A whole other day passed and then several more, but still no Hisoka. My wounds had healed quite a bit, to the point where I only had to wear bandages around my stomach and one around my front leg, which was good… But even though I was getting better, recovering my strength, I wasn't happy. By the end of the week, I had pretty much given up on ever seeing my Hisoka again. Ever. I had wanted to deny hearing it that day, but he…. He really did say 'goodbye'.

-…-

Hisoka had been sitting on pins and needles all week long. Every day he'd wake up feeling cold and alone; at school, his mind would wander, and when he got home, he would wait by the phone, wanting so much to get a call that would ease his mind. It had been so long without so much as a message from the doctor, and Hisoka thought he would go insane! For a week he didn't have Tsuzuki to wake him up. For a week he didn't have Tsuzuki to share his meals with or to scold for making a mess. For a week, he didn't have Tsuzuki to cuddle him to sleep. But what hurt the most… was that for a week, he didn't have Tsuzuki there to softly lick away his tears and comfort him, to assure him that things were going to be okay. Hisoka was so filled with worry, and when he awoke the next morning, he feared the long day of loneliness and worry… But it was that morning that Hisoka awoke, not to a lick on the cheek, but to a ringing phone. At hearing it, Hisoka's chest nearly flew out of his chest, and he answered it, tension building, until he finally heard those words he had wanted so much to hear.

"You can come bring Tsuzuki home."

He was so excited, Hisoka could barely focus at school, even more so than before, and when he got home, he immediately dropped his things, changed and nearly ran Tatsumi over on the way out.

"Whoa there!" Tatsumi set a hand on the boy's shoulder as he caught his breath and fixed his glasses. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"To the vet! He called me this morning! I can finally bring Tsuzuki home!"

"Hontou? Well, that's wonderful, Kurosaki-kun!" He said with a smile that was both happy and guild-ridden. "Well then, since I'm free right now, would you like it if I drove you?"

"! Would you, please?" Hisoka was so nervous and elated after Tatsumi agreed, and he could hardly stay still in his seat. Tatsumi occasionally glanced at him from the corner of his eye and couldn't suppress a smile, himself. However… beyond that smile, the guilt was building. It was him, after all, that let Tsuzuki out the day he was so brutally attacked… if he hadn't opened the door, neither of them would have had to feel such pain… Of course, he wanted to tell Hisoka what he had done, but somehow, every time he tried, he couldn't manage to admit it. So, he pushed back his own feelings and only projected relief and happiness. As soon as they arrived at the vet, Hisoka jumped out of his seat, barely waiting for the car to roll to a halt. He was off like a light and Tatsumi laughed softly, parked the car, and calmly walked inside after him. Hisoka was bouncing at the front desk, asking over and over about Tsuzuki by the time Tatsumi got there, but the doctor was helping someone else at the moment and they were forced to wait.

Waiting again… it was something Hisoka had grown to hate with a passion. He used to be a patient person, but since Tsuzuki's life was in danger, waiting had become the hardest thing to handle… Like Watari, Tatsumi was there next to him for support, offering both comfort and assurance…in his own quiet, non-touchy way. Tatsumi didn't seem to like physical contact much, but that didn't bother Hisoka. He was still a nice guy. Soon enough, though, the doctor showed out and calmly led them back into the kennel. Hisoka's heart was pounding, not sure what to expect, but all he could do was continue to reassure himself that everything would be fine. The doctor opened the door to the cage and Hisoka looked inside…

"Tsuzuki…?" The little kitten was huddled in the back of the cage, curled into a ball in the corner. It was like he was trying to hide for something…. Or maybe he was afraid… curled into a little ball to try and keep himself safe. Either way, it made the vice return to Hisoka's heart. He hadn't even reacted to the call of his name. Trying to convince himself that he simply hadn't heard it, Hisoka reached in and his fingers slowly brushed against the slightly ruffled fur. Almost instantly, the ball of fluff jumped and whizzed around, fur standing on end, as if getting ready for an attack. This made Hisoka jump in turn and withdraw his hand. Moments later, Tsuzuki finally registered the face of his human and relaxed, but the look on Hisoka's face… It was one of fear, hesitance… He had caused that expression, and although he was relieved to see Hisoka come back for him, he was conflicted… Seeing the look on the boy's face, the doctor spoke.

"Time," he began, "to an animal… seems different than to a human." Hisoka looked up, confused.

"What do you mean? Has… Tsuzuki forgotten me?" He almost couldn't breathe. The very thought of it made his chest tighten, his breath hitch. Tsuzuki…

"No, not quite…" The doctor replied, shaking his head. "But after so long, pets tend to fear abandonment… what seems like a week without their owner may seem like months."

"Then you should have let me see him sooner!" Hisoka shouted. The doctor knew this would happen, and yet he still allowed it. It was unforgivable! Tsuzuki watched his human's tirade, slightly confused… he was so conflicted. Hisoka was angry…

"It could not be helped. What you can do, though, is take him home… reassure him that he wasn't abandoned… Well, if you think a feline can understand. Dogs are trainable, cats aren't, by popular opinion." Hisoka glared at that.

"Tsuzuki is smarter than ANY stinky old dog…" Hisoka stepped back to the cage and held out his arms. "Tsuzuki… come here… It's okay… we're going home now…"

Tsuzuki didn't move for a minute, thoughts and emotions running wild in his little kitty brain, but once Hisoka's eyes softened, he couldn't possibly deny him, and he crawled to him. Finally, Hisoka's pain was lessening and he picked the tattered cat up, holding him to his chest. It felt good… to be held by him again. It seemed like forever since he'd last felt the warmth of his human's skin. But… things had changed… somehow… As Hisoka brought Tsuzuki home, he felt it. They both did.


	6. Chapter 6

Two days after Tsuzuki returned home, things were still looking bleak. The injury to his front leg was still recovering, which meant that Tsuzuki couldn't easily walk on it. It didn't stop him from trying, however, though he would fall down a lot until Hisoka couldn't bear to see him like that anymore, and would pick him up, carrying him everywhere he needed to go. Any other time, Tsuzuki would have loved the attention, but he was just too sore and depressed to be happy. So much for cats not being depressed for long…

The events of the past week kept playing over and over in Tsuzuki's little head, and he just didn't know what to think or feel anymore. He'd been left all alone for so long, and then Hisoka suddenly comes back, acting like normal again? It didn't make sense… Hisoka was trying to get them back into a normal routine, but things weren't normal anymore, and the almost-constant throb in his leg was a painful reminder. If he hadn't gone out that day, if he hadn't tried to change their routine, no, if he hadn't been watching those stupid soap operas, none of this would have happened, he thought. If it weren't for those, nothing would have changed, and they would be cuddling right now. Instead, Tsuzuki was curled up at one end of the couch, staring blankly at the news on the tv, but not caring anymore what the boring man with the not-even-convincing hairpiece was talking about. Hisoka was in the kitchen making something that was starting to smell really good. He had been trying to talk to Tsuzuki all morning, but he was just not in the mood. Tsuzuki was still just trying to figure everything out.

Hisoka soon finished cooking and brought over some tasty-looking pastries, but Tsuzuki didn't give into temptation. He hadn't felt like eating in a while.

"Tsuzuki, here… why don't you give it a try?" Tsuzuki didn't move. Hisoka frowned and offered again. "I promise it tastes good. See?" He took a bite, himself, and made a "mmmmm" sound, which, from what Tsuzuki had observed, means that something is tasty. But Tsuzuki just wasn't in the mood to eat. In fact, he hadn't been in the mood to do much of anything, and it worried Hisoka greatly. After a while, Hisoka stopped pestering him about food and started flipping through channels. He stopped at a soap opera and smiled. He didn't care much for them, but he knew Tsuzuki did.

"Look, Tsuzuki, it's your favorite!" Tsuzuki lifted his head just in time to see his favorite couple getting back together. It hurt to see that, so he turned around and closed his eyes, brushing it off completely. Tsuzuki had done a 360 and Hisoka had no idea how to make things go back to normal. Turning off the tv altogether, he reached out and softly stroked his friend's soft fur.

"Tsuzuki…. Please… please forgive me… I didn't leave you there because I wanted to! I didn't have any choice! You would have died if I had brought you home!" Died…? This was something Tsuzuki didn't understand. People on the soap operas he saw didn't die. They didn't. They'd just go to sleep for a while until season two… That always happened. Death was something unfathomable to the little kitty. Though, it did hurt a lot… for a while, Tsuzuki thought he really would die, but he didn't. Was death even a real thing? He didn't understand.

Tsuzuki was so lost in his musings that he didn't respond to Hisoka, which made the boy terribly sad and worried. That only added onto Tsuzuki's sorrow and guilt. Before the air could get any more tense, however, there was a knock on the door. Giving Tsuzuki one last look, Hisoka got up and answered it. Watari was standing there at the door holding a grocery bag.

"Watari…san?"

"Hi, Bon!" Watari walked in and set the bag down. "I saw you were running low on a few things and thought I'd pick up some food for you! Gotta make sure you grow up big and strong, after all!"

"Ah… thanks…" Hisoka was grateful, of course, but he was just feeling too down to smile. Watari noticed this and set a hand on his head.

"What's wrong, Bon? Are you not feeling well?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just…" His eyes wandered to where Tsuzuki was still curled up and sulking. "Tsuzuki is… not himself…"

"Oh?" Watari looked over, too.

"Yeah… He hasn't been eating much at all, and he can't move around the apartment because of his injury. He's even lost interest in watching tv."

"Aw, poor thing… Well, he did go through something pretty traumatic! I'm sure he'll get better!" Watari was trying to sound hopeful, but Hisoka wasn't feeling it.

"Do you really think so? Tsuzuki's never been like this… He's always been happy and hungry and… and…" Tears were starting to form at the corners of his eyes, which did not go unnoticed by Watari. Tsuzuki could always tell when Hisoka was upset, too, and he lifted his head in time to see Watari cup his human's face and gently wipe away his tears.

"Hey, now… it'll be okay…" Hisoka sniffled, trying to calm down.

"I just want things to go back to the way they were…"

"Sh… I know, Bon… I know…"

This sight nearly broke Tsuzuki's heart. Not only had his actions hurt Hisoka's feelings, but now that he was so upset, someone else was comforting him. Like only a human can… Oh how he longed to be able to hold Hisoka like that, to wipe away his tears… but it was a dream he could never see realized… It was time for Tsuzuki to realize there was only one thing he could do for Hisoka. …Be his loyal pet. It might hurt that he couldn't do more, but even if he could bring a single smile to his Hisoka's face, then it would have to be enough. So he started at the only place he could think of, slowly getting up limping to the other side of the couch. Watari was holding onto Hisoka, rocking him lightly, before he noticed the little movement. Suddenly, he smiled.

"Bon… Look there." Slowly, Hisoka opened his eyes again, sniffling. What he saw made his eyes widen and his heart flutter a little bit. Tsuzuki was now lying by the plate of pastries he had made and was softly nibbling on one. He was eating again, and he looked like he was enjoying it, too. Moving away from Watari, Hisoka went to the couch and knelt in front of it, watching Tsuzuki eat for a while. Tsuzuki eventually paused and looked back at him. Silence reigned for a moment, but then Tsuzuki picked up one of the small pastries in his mouth and held it out to Hisoka. This brought a smile to the boy's face as he softly accepted it and took a small bite.

"Thank you… Tsuzuki…" His voice was calm and sweet, just like Tsuzuki liked it. Tsuzuki responded with a tired meow and Hisoka pet his head. They were simple gestures on both sides, but it was enough for them to both say it was going to be okay. At least until the next day…


	7. Chapter 7

By the next morning, things were going better, much like they used to. Tsuzuki woke up before Hisoka to turn off his alarm, though it was harder since he couldn't move around as well, but he managed. Then he crawled across the pillow and licked Hisoka's cheek. The boy had been so worried for the past week, he must have been more exhausted, because he didn't wake up right away. So, Tsuzuki kept trying, and something happened. Hisoka started to blush and moan. Tsuzuki remembered that this happened once before, too, but he didn't know what it meant. Still, it made him feel kind of good, too, licking Hisoka, so he continued to do it, moving down over his face to his soft and warm neck. Hisoka made a strange noise in his throat, turning his head to the side, and Tsuzuki took that as an invitation to keep licking. It felt strange somehow… strange and kind of scary, but wonderful at the same time.

But Hisoka was starting to wake up, so Tsuzuki reluctantly stopped. Like the first time, Hisoka was shocked to notice the reaction he had in his sleep and quickly ran off to the bathroom. Did licking him make Hisoka have to go pee? It was confusing to Tsuzuki, but it wasn't like he could ask what was going on, so he sat and patiently waited for Hisoka to return. When he left the bathroom, bright red and panting, Tsuzuki had a breakfast bar waiting for him. Hisoka picked him up and held him close, carrying him to the couch. That thing that was beating inside Hisoka's chest was fluttering quickly, Tsuzuki noticed. What did that mean? Tsuzuki mewed, as if his question could be answered or even understood, but he knew better. Hisoka looked down at him and held him tight.

"I'm fine…" Hisoka knew it wasn't right, though, the way he was thinking. He kept having dreams about Tsuzuki, but instead of him being a cat, he was a human… he looked so handsome in his dreams… but it was wrong! There was no way he could become a human, and if he did, that would just seem weird! He liked Tsuzuki as a cat, his best friend. …Even… if he sometimes longed for something a little more… But, the chances of anyone caring for him like that was a million to one, so he brushed it off and spent the morning with Tsuzuki before going to school. He was pleased as he sat in class. There were only three days left until summer break, in which nothing interesting would happen in his classes, and then he could spend all his time with Tsuzuki! But fate was a cruel mistress. The teacher came into the classroom and wrote something Hisoka absolutely did not like on the board.

'Three Day Camping Trip.'

Hisoka listened in horror as the teacher explained that to top of the school year, their class would be going on a three day trip to the mountains to celebrate a successful year's end. It wasn't a good thing at all! Three days up in the wilderness surrounded by bugs. Three days stuck with people he didn't like all that much. But the worse part… three days… without Tsuzuki. After having spent a week without him, and having Tsuzuki think he'd been abandoned, Hisoka was terrified of leaving again so soon. He quickly rose his hand and asked if he could be excluded. The answer was no.

On the walk home, all he could think about was how he was going to explain this to Tsuzuki. He didn't want to make the kitty sad again, but it's not like he could bring him with him on the trip. He worried about it the whole way there, and as he walked into the apartment to see Tsuzuki sitting there waiting for him, his heart only sank further. A sad Hisoka wasn't the sight Tsuzuki had been looking forward to, and he mewed, quickly getting up and rubbing against his legs in an attempt to cheer him up. What had happened this time? Had he been picked on? Did he have a lot of that work home stuff, or whatever it was, or had his father called? Tsuzuki tried to make him feel better, no matter what the problem was, but it only made Hisoka feel worse.

Still, it was obvious that Tsuzuki was trying to be sweet to him, so Hisoka didn't ignore it. He set his bag down and picked him up, going into the bathroom to take a nice hot bath. Tsuzuki, as usual, sat up on his knees as Hisoka cleaned them, but at least by now, he'd learned how to swim (by complete accident, of course) so when Hisoka needed to clean himself, Tsuzuki swam about the tub. It wasn't as easy with an injured leg, but Hisoka helped him out whenever he started to sink. Eventually, though, when they were both clean, they just relaxed. Hisoka softly pet Tsuzuki and stared as the kitty purred and nuzzled his hand. How was he going to explain it? He wasn't even sure that Tsuzuki could understand everything he said, so how could he… Sighing, Hisoka just decided to try it, and see if he understood.

"Tsuzuki?" The little kitty opened his eyes. "Tsuzuki, I…I have to go away…"

Tsuzuki's eyes opened a little wider, shocked at hearing that. Hisoka could typically read people's emotions well, even when it came to his pet, so he could tell Tsuzuki was scared.

"But listen… I'm not abandoning you. Okay?" Abandon? Tsuzuki still didn't understand, and he showed so by tilting his head and lightly pawing Hisoka's leg. The feel of it made Hisoka blush, and for the first time, he started to feel a little self-conscious. He hadn't thought about himself being naked in Tsuzuki's presence before. Why was he just now starting to notice these things? But that could wait. First, he had to make Tsuzuki understand.

"What I mean to say is that I'm not going away for a long time…Just three days! I'm going to come back. I really am! I love you, Tsuzuki, and I wont leave you in a strange place like that one time ever again! You'll be here at home… and I'm sure Watari-san or Tatsumi-san will come and visit you so you wont be lonely! And they'll feed you and give you baths…" Why was this so hard to talk about? The more Hisoka spoke and thought about leaving, the worse it felt. He really didn't want to go, even if it was only for three days.

Tsuzuki was quiet for a while, trying to process this. Hisoka wasn't going to be there. He would be left in Hisoka's apartment, but he'd have visitors… It didn't sound all that bad, really… It would be like when Hisoka goes off to school, only… longer… He'd be alone at night, with no one to snuggle and no one to lick awake in the morning… Just how long was three days? Hisoka had told him that before, they were only apart for a week. But still, he didn't know how long that was. How could he ask how long that was?

"Tsuzuki…?" Hisoka could tell something was bothering Tsuzuki. Finally, Tsuzuki got an idea and mewed three times. No response. So he tried pawing Hisoka's leg three times. Hisoka didn't understand what he was doing. Finally, a crazy idea popped into his head.

"Three…?" Tsuzuki nodded. Was he starting to understand?

"Three… three days?" He nodded again. Hisoka was always good at guessing games. "Do you understand how long that is?" That's more like it! Hisoka understood his question, and shook his head. It was amazing how well Tsuzuki seemed to understand his words… Hisoka tilted his head back and thought about it.

"Well… you know when it gets bright outside…? That's called daytime… and it lasts until it gets dark. That's night time. That's when we go to bed." Tsuzuki nodded. He liked that time, because Hisoka snuggled him. "That's the length of one day. When we wake up, that's the start of the second day, and so on… So… you'll go to sleep and wake up three times… and then I'll be back home."

Ohh…. So that's what days were! It seemed to simple now that Hisoka was explaining it. That wasn't so bad! If he'd have visitors and the tv, he should be okay! But… what about Hisoka? Wouldn't he be lonely without him? He looked unhappy about leaving… Wiggling out from under Hisoka's hand, Tsuzuki swam up to his neck and nuzzled him. This action caused Hisoka to blush and gasp softly, but he liked it. If Hisoka was going to be lonely… then Tsuzuki would shower him with affection until he had to go, and do the same when he returned. In three days…

--

The morning Hisoka left was much like any other school day. Sure he had more with him, and he looked a little sadder, but Tsuzuki was there to comfort him up until he walked out the front door with a half-smile. For a while, Tsuzuki tried to get back to the normal routine by eating a little and turning on the tv. But he avoided the soap operas for a while and tried to understand the cartoons. There was on with a cat and a mouse which was kind of interesting. They would do things that humans normally did… could all cats do that? And what about Mice? Tsuzuki had never met one before. Anyway, meeting a mouse might not be a good thing. The cat on the cartoon kept getting hurt as he chased the mouse, and Tsuzuki had been hurt plenty already.

He stayed in front of the tv until the sound of keys made his ears perk up. As quickly as he could, he slid off the couch and limped to the door, half hoping that Hisoka would walk through, but no, it was Tatsumi… Hisoka had asked him to stop by to feed him, but he never expected him to have a bag with him. Tsuzuki tilted his head, wondering what he had planned. Turns out, Tatsumi liked puzzles, and he brought a few with him. After watching him put little pieces together to make pictures, Tsuzuki got the hang of it and tried to help. He managed to find quite a few pieces that fit together, making Tatsumi smile. It was fun! But all too soon, it was time for Tatsumi to leave. He lightly patted Tsuzuki's head and left. It was still light outside, so not even a day had passed. Tsuzuki sighed and climbed up on the pillow to nap for a while.

He awoke to another set of keys at the front door and again rushed to greet his owner. But it was Watari at the door this time. He fed Tsuzuki, and then that little red light showed up out of nowhere again! He didn't know what it was, but it was moving all over the place… it used to only show up when Hisoka was there with a little shiny stick in his hand. Did the light want to take the stick away? Like he'd allow that! Tsuzuki followed the light until he vanished again, and Watari gave him a treat. He liked treats! After eating, he settled down on the couch and watched a lot of old movies with Watari. The color was gone in most of them, which was strange, but Watari seemed to like them even without the bright colors. Without even realizing it, a lot of time had gone by. When the last movie ended, the light had disappeared, from outside. It was finally night time! He'd lasted a whole day! But… Watari was packing up. He wasn't going to stay with him overnight? That made Tsuzuki sad… Watari tried to say comforting things to him, patted his head, and left, turning out the lights. It was dark and cold without Hisoka… Tsuzuki curled up in Hisoka's spot under the covers and wondered if Hisoka was keeping warm, too. He missed him…

Tsuzuki had trouble sleeping that night, and the next day, he was so bored. Tatsumi didn't stick around like he had the day before, and Watari didn't show up at all. There was very little to keep Tsuzuki occupied except thinking about Hisoka and when he would be back. Not even the tv could keep his mind off of his human. He missed him so much… did Hisoka miss him, too? Then again, he was surrounded by humans… his own kind… if he were ever sad or lonely, they would be there for him! But… what did that mean about them? Tsuzuki wanted to be Hisoka's special person… to protect him and watch over him. There's just one problem. Tsuzuki isn't a person. He could never be someone like that for Hisoka. Little Tsuzuki thought about that all the next day, completely forgetting that the day after, Hisoka would be returning. All he could think about was how he could be there for Hisoka like a person. At night time, after Watari had gone home, Tsuzuki sat on the couch and looked out the window at the night sky. It looked so clear and peaceful out there, it was almost enough to soothe the kitty's roaming mind.

And then, quite surprisingly, something zipped across the sky. Was it that blasted light again? No… this light was coming from outside high in the sky! Wait, Hisoka had mentioned that once… it was called a shooting… um… oh! A shooting star! Why was a star being shot across the sky, anyway? Well, he may not have understood it, but he did remember Hisoka telling him that some people make wishes when they see one, and they can sometimes come true. Hisoka, himself, didn't believe it, but Tsuzuki wanted to. So he closed his eyes, took a breath, and wished with everything he had.

_I wish I could be Hisoka's special person…_

Be careful what you wish for.


	8. Chapter 8

A camping trip was supposed to be filled with fun and adventure, but for one boy, it was only lonely. Hisoka didn't have friends, so there was no one to socialize with, to hang out with. He spent most of his time alone, except when his teacher sent him and other students to either collect wood or explore. He hardly spoke a single word the entire time. Instead, he kept to himself… and thought about Tsuzuki. Was he all right at home alone? Was he lonely? Eating? Were Tatsumi and Watari keeping him company? And also… was Tsuzuki tearing apart his apartment out of worry or boredom? That was a scary thought, indeed. But… was it normal to worry this much about a pet cat? Sure, if Tsuzuki were human, he wouldn't need so much looking after, but because he was just a kitty, he depended on others to survive.

…Why was he thinking about Tsuzuki as a human again? It was something Hisoka knew could never happen, and yet, the thought kept popping into his head. Looking up, Hisoka could see that his classmates had split into little groups to do their own things, far from him. He didn't mind, as he didn't like them, anyway… but for some reason, he couldn't help but stare at them. He hadn't ever really has friends, not since he was little, so he wasn't sure to behave around others, either. This was his chance to try to distract himself from Tsuzuki and instead, study social behavior. It was a little weird, but anything helped when he was so lonely.

The boys he was watching were playing a card game, not something Hisoka was interested in, but they looked like they were having fun playing. They laughed, told jokes, and at one point, one of the boys tackled another and they started wrestling. Soon, however, the other three joined in. It wasn't like they were out to hurt each other, but Hisoka couldn't figure out how this was fun. …Well… he sort of did… At one point, Tsuzuki had snuck off with one of his socks, and Hisoka had to chase him all over the apartment trying to get it back. In the end, both of them landed on the floor, rolling around like those boys… was it the same thing? …No… Again, Hisoka had to remind himself that it wasn't the same. Boys wrestling was not the same as trying to get a dumb cat to relinquish his sock. ….But.. if Tsuzuki were…

Darn it! Hisoka mentally cursed himself. In trying to distract himself, he had unintentionally ended up right back where he started. Tsuzuki was a cat! A cat, and nothing more! He couldn't walk with him, go to school with him, hold him, feed him…! Those were things only humans could do for him! Tsuzuki…. Tsuzuki was just enough for him, though… he cuddled with him on cold nights, shared meals and baths with him… and even tried to help clean up, but that was all… That was all Hisoka could expect from him. Besides, Hisoka remembered, when Tsuzuki tried to be human for him, do a human deed, he nearly died. Even something as simple as getting flowers was dangerous for a cat… Flowers… it was something so simple… something that most humans take for granted, but not Hisoka. Not anymore. Now, he treasured that small gesture… no matter how much pain accompanied it.

Hisoka gave up trying not to think about Tsuzuki, and began to worry about him again. How were his wounds doing? Were they healing alright? He hoped Tsuzuki wasn't lying at home in pain, needing someone to take care of him. After this, he promised himself, he wouldn't leave Tsuzuki all by himself. He would stay in the apartment with him as much as he could, and maybe buy a carrier, so he could take him with him when Hisoka absolutely needed to go out. Hmm… There was a thought… being cooped up in that apartment for so long might make Tsuzuki go stir crazy eventually, so maybe he could take him out to the park now and then and let him get some fresh air!

Finally, for the first time in those three days, a smile graced those soft pink lips. Since Tsuzuki had done something so nice for him, and suffered to do it, Hisoka would spoil him rotten with walks, treats, and everything else he would want! Hisoka had made him worry, made him hurt, made him wait for him, but he wouldn't have to wait any longer. One more night and his best friend would be back in his arms again. Just thinking about not having to spend anymore cold nights alone, never having to be all by himself and bored, and being woken up with Tsuzuki's soft, gentle kisses made his heart flutter. He wanted Tsuzuki, and he couldn't wait to get home. He thought about this most of the night, too excited to sleep, but eventually, his exhaustion claimed him, allowing him a few hours of rest before morning's light came up over the campsite. Hisoka was still one of the first to get up and he helped pack up with more enthusiasm than his teacher had ever seen from him. When he asked Hisoka why he was so excited, Hisoka turned, still smiling and said "There is someone special waiting for me."

The teacher could have interpreted that any way he wanted- a family member, a friend, a lover- but Hisoka knew it was just a cat. No, not just any cat…. HIS cat, his best friend, his Tsuzuki. More than enough time had gone by, and on the way down the mountain, Hisoka was finally given back his cell phone and he called both Watari and Tatsumi, telling them he was on his way home, but not to tell Tsuzuki yet. He wanted to surprise him, personally. He also asked how he was doing, and he was very relieved to hear Tsuzuki had been well taken care of and hadn't been too lonely. He wasn't eating as much as before, but he wasn't very depressed. And, according to Watari, his wounds were healing very well! His front paw was still difficult to walk on, but that's okay, Hisoka thought. He'll just have to kiss it all better when he got home. The whole bus ride, he was practically bouncing in his seat, thinking about all the things he would do with Tsuzuki when he got back. They'd start with a bath, then a nice meal, and after that, they could take a walk outside and maybe share some ice cream! Tsuzuki liked ice cream! The more he thought about this, the more excited he got. The bus had barely pulled to a stop at the station when Hisoka grabbed his things and jumped off it, heading towards home in a full sprint.

Tsuzuki… Tsuzuki… Tsuzuki… that was all he could think about. He wanted to hold him, to feed him, to be close and feel his warmth…! He wanted… no, he needed it! He needed Tsuzuki like he needed air. There was no way he would be away from him after this, he promised himself. He wanted him so badly… Reaching the apartment, he hurriedly fished out his keys and took the stairs two at a time all the way to his apartment. He wondered if Tsuzuki knew he would be home at last. If not, it would be a pleasant surprise. Would he run to the door? Would he jump up on him and snuggle him? Or maybe he was sleeping on the television again, and he would fall off in surprise. Hisoka couldn't suppress a chuckle at the memory of that one time. He couldn't wait to see that goofy, happy look on his little face, feel his ears twitching against his skin as he snuggles him, hear his soft and loving "mew" as if he were saying "welcome home, I missed you". Oh, how he would love to hear it for real… but a "mew" was the best he would ever get, and no way would he ever take that for granted again!

Once he got to his door, he decided it would be best to enter quietly and surprise him, so he took out his key, keeping the others on the key ring quiet, and entered his apartment, stepping softly. The apartment was dark, as to be expected, and it was quiet… There was no pitter patter of little paws on the floor of an overzealous kitty coming to greet him, no meowing or anything… except for a low noise coming from the bedroom. Was Tsuzuki sleeping? No… even Tsuzuki didn't snore that loud (and yes, he did snore from time to time), so Hisoka assumed that it was either Watari or Tatsumi that had slept over to keep him company, though neither of them mentioned it when he called earlier. None the less, something told him that Tsuzuki was in there waiting, so he set his bag down and walked to the bedroom.

"Tsuzuki~" Hisoka called his name softly, peeking in. Surely, there was a rather large figure on the bed, lying completely under the covers. So one of them had slept over. No problem. Walking softly, Hisoka looked about the room, searching for his companion, but he couldn't find him. This was slightly worrisome… where was he? Leaning over the sleeping figure, he called again. This time, the figure under the covers stirred, slightly startling Hisoka. He looked down, meaning to apologize, but the words died on his lips as the covers slipped down slightly, revealing a head of soft brown hair that he did not at all recognize. The figure moved more, revealing a soft, sleepy male face. Taking a startled step back, Hisoka tried to rationalize the situation. There was someone in his bed, a strange man who he had never seen before… How had he gotten in? The apartment was spotless and there was no sign of a break-in, so how….? And who the heck was he?!

As he tried to figure it out, the figure yawned and stretched out, hands flexing in the air in a peculiar way before he opened his eyes and saw Hisoka. The man blinked a couple of times, before a flicker of recognition shimmered in his bright amethyst eyes, and a wide smile spread across his face. In an instant, the man tried to propel himself out of bed, aiming for Hisoka, but his legs became tangled in the blanket, and he fell to the floor, revealing that he wasn't only a strange man, but a rather NAKED one as well. This sudden act caused Hisoka to jump and gasp, moving even further from him. The man looked down at the blanket, as if confused… why was he stuck? It was then that he noticed something quite startling… he wasn't the way he thought he would be. Where he expected to see paws, he saw hands and feet… instead of fur, he saw flesh…. What was happening…?

Now outside the room, Hisoka reached for his phone and called Tatsumi in a panic, worried and scared. He was only two floors down, and so he hoped he could save him from this intruder. Tatsumi reassured him immediately and hung up. It would still take a minute for him to get up and to his apartment, and faintly, Hisoka wondered if he could stand to wait even such a short period of time. The last time there was an intruder in his apartment, Hisoka was almost hurt, and Tsuzuki was nearly killed. It then occurred to him- where was Tsuzuki?! He hadn't seen him or heard him at all, and so there was a deep feeling of worry growing in the pit of his stomach. Was he okay? Was he hurt or hiding somewhere? Where… Then, as if on cue, Hisoka's ears caught the sound of meowing. Looking around, he tried to discern where it was coming from, and was horrified to discover that it was, as he feared, coming from the bedroom where the intruder was. Was he being kept as a hostage or something….? Hisoka didn't want to think about it. What he did know, however, was that he had to get Tsuzuki out of there and bring him somewhere safe. It was something he just had to do. So, he took in a deep, shaky breath and ran back into the room, calling out for his friend.

"Tsuzuki, where are-" For the second time, his words caught in his throat, and his eyes widened in complete surprise. The unmistakable, whimpering kitty noises weren't coming from his little cat… but from the naked man who was still caught in a tangle of sheets. And that wasn't the only think that shocked him. He hadn't noticed them before… and had he before, he would have thought himself to be insane, but there… there were two twitchy cat ears atop the man's head, and a tail swinging wildly in distress. What was this…? He knew those ears, that tail, that call…. But… he did not know this man… Why was this happening? The world around him was suddenly becoming dark and fuzzy… The last thing Hisoka heard before his head collided with the floor was Tatsumi's voice calling out to him, and Tsuzuki… wherever he was…


	9. Chapter 9

Tsuzuki…. Tsuzuki…. Where was Tsuzuki….? Weakly, Hisoka called out through the darkness, but for the longest time, there was no response. What had happened to him…? Why wouldn't he come when he was called? Losing hope, Hisoka called one more time, this time with desperation and loneliness dripping from his tongue, and finally, a sound. It was faint, but it was definitely him! Hisoka kept calling out, his hope renewed, until the voice was so close…. A somewhat deeper mew than he remembered called out behind him, but when Hisoka turned to look, it wasn't a kitten he saw before him, but a man. This man stood taller than him with soft brown hair, somewhat sad amethyst eyes, cat ears… But he was also wearing a tight collar around his neck. Even in a dream, Hisoka recognized that the man he was staring at was the one he had seen in his bed, but… was he wearing a collar? Hisoka hadn't stuck around long enough to find out. Why would a man wear a collar, anyway? His head was so full of questions that he wasn't really paying attention to the one standing before him, until he meowed again.

No… it couldn't possibly…

Then, when he felt his mind would burst from the confusion, he heard a voice, soft, but worried, calling out to him. A chill suddenly shot through him, feeling just a bit cold, but what was it? It felt so strange… Hisoka hugged his arms, the dream starting to fade, but before it did, he felt something else, something surprising… a warm, soft hand on his cheek. Hisoka gasped and looked up, more than amazed to see a concerned expression on the man's face. It looked genuinely caring and worried and… Oh god, his hand… it was so warm… It was a warmth he had longed for his whole life, and closing his eyes, he knew… he just wanted it to envelop him completely and never leave. But the man was fading away with the darkness. However… just before he vanished completely, Hisoka opened his eyes and just briefly caught the sight of a strange scar on the man's right wrist. His right…paw….?

--

"Kurosaki…. Kurosaki, wake up… Kurosaki…?" Tatsumi was seated on the edge of his sofa, lightly dabbing a cool cloth over the collapsed boy's face, hoping to wake him up. He hoped Hisoka would be all right, and he wondered if he should call for an ambulance. However… if there was one thing you did not want, it was to have to tell a boy's rich, powerful, and revered father that something happened to his only son. If at all possible, he wanted to avoid that outcome, so he continued to do as he had been for the past hour. Finally, there was movement. The boy's hand twitched slightly, then a moan. Tatsumi sighed in relief and set the cloth aside as Hisoka's eyes softly opened, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling.

"Kurosaki, are you all right…?" He called to him, and for a moment, Hisoka didn't respond. It wasn't a comforting result, but eventually, he seemed to become more awake, and his eyes searched the room, finally falling on him. "Kurosaki…"

"Mr… Tatsumi…?" The elder man sighed in relief.

"Yes, it's me… Thank goodness you're awake! Are you hurt? Did he hurt you in any way?"

"Did he….." For some reason, Hisoka's mind was blank… but after just waking up, whose wouldn't be? He searched his mind for any form of answer, even if it was just the word 'snickers', but then, in a flash, he remembered his dream, and very quickly bolted upright. "Tsuzuki!"

"Whoa, take it easy, Kurosaki…!" Worried, Tatsumi set his hands on Hisoka's shoulders, not wanting him to overexert himself.

"Don't worry, Kurosaki… once we think of how to deal with that intruder, we can search for Tsuzuki, okay?"

"! How to deal…?" Hisoka gasped. "You don't mean… Did you call the police ot have him arrested?!" The way Hisoka asked that seemed like he was concerned with the strange, naked man in his apartment, but Tatsumi guessed it was just because he had a kind heart…

"Well, I tried, but… they wouldn't believe me when I said he had cat ears… They thought I was joking and hung up." Hisoka sighed in relief over that. He didn't want him to be taken away… until he confirmed a few things. Tatsumi continued speaking in a slightly worrisome tone.

"This means… we have to take care of him ourselves. …No, you should stay here. I'll take care of him, and teach him a lesson!" He was about to rise, eyeing a bat he had stashed in the corner, but Hisoka's small hand caught his shirt sleeve before he got far. This slightly confused Tatsumi, and he looked down at the boy.

"No…" He spoke quietly, determination mixed with hesitation in his voice. "I want… to go with you. I want to see him…"

Tatsumi did not think it was a good idea, but Hisoka was rather good when it came to debating, and like the young heir he was, he was very skilled at getting what he wanted. Soon, the two of them left the basement apartment and headed upwards towards Hisoka's home, Tatsumi with his bat in hand. Hisoka insisted on leading the way, and he stepped lightly on the floors leading into the apartment. The bedroom door was now closed, as Tatsumi had locked it to keep the intruder in. It was untouched, which suggested that the man inside was still in there, and that he hadn't tried to escape. Why would someone do that? Any smart intruder would try to escape the first chance they got… and they wouldn't get all tangled in a blanket like he had, either. The more he thought about his dream, the crazier he thought it was… but just maybe… something strange had happened. Hisoka saw Tatsumi reaching for the door, but stopped him, taking the key.

"Let me g in first."

"Kurosaki… that's dangerous! I can't allow-"

"I don't think he'll hurt me. Please…" Tatsumi wanted to argue further, but the look in the boy's eyes was something he could not win against. Begrudgingly, he lowered his hand and allowed him to unlock the door. It creaked open slowly, and Hisoka took a deep breath before peeking in. The bed was still a mess, and the blanket was now fully on the floor… the man was probably underneath it. It was startling, even then, however, to see a fluffy tail sway back and forth across the floor, being the only thing not covered by the blanket. Instantly, Hisoka could feel a blush rising to his cheeks, as he knew the man underneath had no clothes on, but he couldn't back down now. He crept into the room as quietly as he could, his heart pounding, and he stopped by the edge of the blanket. Could he really do this? Was it smart to have gone in without a weapon? No, he really didn't think this man would do him harm, especially if he was actually….

Steadying his hands, Hisoka reached down and ever so softly…. moved the blanket. The first thing to come into view was a very lean but shapely… thigh. He nearly turned and ran out just at that, face five shades of red, but he kept telling himself he had to continue, so the blanket moved more, revealing a milky back and strong shoulder muscles. However, there were some light scars littering his skin, and Hisoka tried not to immediately connect those to ones he had seen on his beloved kitty before leaving for his trip. Still, he continued, until the top of the head was revealed. Right away, those strange ears popped up, startling Hisoka and causing him to drop the blanket and take a step back. Tatsumi called out to him, telling him to get out of the room, but he couldn't move. He stood there and watched as the figure stretched slowly and rose his head…. To look straight at him. Somehow, those unusual purple eyes looked very sad and guilty, a look he was quite familiar, but that wasn't the only thing he noticed. He actually lowered his eyes, and indeed, like he had seen in his dream, there was a tight collar around his neck. It looked very uncomfortable… Was it hurting him?

Despite his mind telling him to turn and run, he found his legs bringing him closer to the man. He didn't flinch or back away when Hisoka reached out… and quickly undid the collar. Once it was off, he backed towards the door again, and watched as the man smiled brightly, meowed and stretched out. He licked his hands and wiped his face with them. No… no, it's not possible… it can't be… That's what Hisoka told himself, holding the collar close, but even before he looked down, read the name, he knew…

"You're my… Tsuzuki…"

The man's head rose in response, a smile on his face once again. Hisoka… he remembered him! Was it possible for someone to forget another over three days time? Tsuzuki wondered that to himself, but that's not the only thing. He wondered… why he suddenly looked like a person. Lifting one hand, his right hand, he looked himself over, trying to comprehend it. He saw the scar from his attack, as did Hisoka, but nothing else about him was familiar. Besides his ears and tail. He was happy to still have them! Absentmindedly, he started playing with his fluffy tail, and in the meantime, Hisoka fell to his knees in shock. Tatsumi hurried in and knelt at his side.

"Kurosaki?"

"It's Tsuzuki… it's him… but… it's not him…"

"That is impossible, Kurosaki…! How could it be…?"

"I don't know… but it fits…" Hisoka lifted the collar, which clearly had his name on it. "It's Tsuzuki…" Hisoka was shocked, horrified, confused… but also, there was a sense of… guilt. For a long time, he had thought about how it would be if Tsuzuki were human. Had his wish, his dream, his fantasy… actually come true?

Hisoka's summer break just got more complicated.


	10. Chapter 10

After the initial shock of his realization had worn off, confusion, and a sense of frustration, took its spot in Hisoka's mind. Tsuzuki, a human? It was just too impossible and crazy to believe, like something you would read in a fantasy book or see on the twilight zone tv show. Is that even on, anymore? Regardless, it seemed less like reality and more like fiction. But with every passing minute, it was beginning to feel even more real, somehow. Anyway, first thing is first: if Tsuzuki was a human now, they couldn't allow him to run around naked like he was. So Tatsumi took initiative and brought up some clothes that had been left behind by a previous tenant who was, thankfully, about Tsuzuki's size, and kept him in the bedroom to dress him. Hisoka waited out o his couch, trying to make sense of the situation while he was alone, but all too soon, the bedroom door opened and Tatsumi walked out, pulling along the cat-man Tsuzuki by the hand. He was now dressed in a long, somewhat baggy hooded sweatshirt and long shorts. But as was expected, he didn't appear to be used to standing on two legs, as he was slouching and wasn't steady walking on his own. Tatsumi led him closer to the couch, but set him down on the floor, giving Hisoka space. It wasn't easy for him to suddenly have to deal with such an unusual change.

Tsuzuki looked around the room, seeing it from a new perspective for the first time, and was amazed by everything. Until his eyes fell on Hisoka. After that, nothing interested him more than his human. Having those bright purple eyes on him, however, only served to cause Hisoka more discomfort than he was already plagued with, and he looked away. This made Tsuzuki pout a little, not understanding Hisoka's sudden distance from him. Was it the three days he spent away? Or, most likely, it was his new form. Even Tsuzuki didn't know what caused it… although, it could have been that shooting star he saw the other night. Was that what did it? That would mean that wishing on stars was really effective! So why didn't people do it more often? Without realizing it, his newly-developed mind was racing with thoughts and ideas, so many that he didn't notice he was being called. A hand suddenly fell onto the top of his head, causing his attention to divert back into the room, and to the one whose hand was resting on his head between his ears: Tatsumi.

"It's strange… and also incredible, if you think about it, Kurosaki…" Tatsumi spoke softly, petting the man's head and brushing his fingers softly over his ears. This made Tsuzuki's ears twitch, and he purred softly in satisfaction. As a cat, this would have been cute, but in human form, Hisoka found this to be strangely wrong. Why had he wished for this? What had he done? Had he just ruined the only positive relationship… friendship he'd ever had? Hisoka was starting to fill up with guilt and dismay. How could he handle this? Tatsumi seemed to notice his rigid and stressed body language.

"Kurosaki…?" Hisoka opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't, immediately. Tatsumi was a patient man, however, and didn't rush him. he allowed Hisoka to take a few deep breaths and try again.

"…I don't know what to do…"

"Neither do I. But whether we know what's going on or not… it's happening, and we need to try our best to figure things out."

Figure them out, he says… but this was a supernatural event. How could they possibly hope to comprehend what was happening? They both took a few minutes to think things over, all the while, Tsuzuki looked back and forth between them. He didn't like how they both looked frustrated and confused… was it something he did? Wanting to make his Hisoka feel better, he crawled to him and rested his hands on Hisoka's leg, as he had done many times, and mewed at him. However, Hisoka reacted differently than he ever had before. He jumped, his face turned deep red, and he got stiff really fast. What was wrong with him? Determined to find out what, he mewed again. Instead of getting a response from Hisoka, he felt himself being pulled away from him and being set back on the floor only for Tatsumi to take a seat at Hisoka's side, where he wanted to be. This made him pout. Had he done something wrong? Tatsumi patted Hisoka's back and eventually, the blonde calmed down and looked back at Tsuzuki.

"If he's human now, why is he mewing still?"

"He probably doesn't know how to speak. We don't even know if he understands… or if he ever did."

But that didn't seem right. Hisoka was sure Tsuzuki was able to understand him in his cat form, so why not now? Determined to prove this, he took a breath and spoke to Tsuzuki.

"Tsuzuki…. Snack time." The brunette's ears instantly perked up at the sound of his second favorite word, and he quickly scurried off to the kitchen on his hands and knees, more than happy to get a snack for his human. Within a minute, he came rushing back with a granola sticking out of his mouth. He gladly offered it to Hisoka, who instantly regretted asking for it. It had been meant both as a demonstration and to feed his empty stomach, but now he wasn't sure if he wanted it. Still, he couldn't let Tsuzuki keep holding it in his mouth, fearing he might choke on it or drool on the floor, so he took it, unwrapped it, and fed it to Tsuzuki in pieces. It was kind of gross watching him drop some pieces and trying to pick them up off the floor with his mouth. Tatsumi was equally appalled.

"We'll need to train him to act human… at least until we can figure out what happened and change him back."

"We…?" Sure, Hisoka knew Tsuzuki was his pet, his responsibility, but he never before considered having to take care of a grown man, one seemingly older than himself, like he would a pet, or a toddler.

"That's right. I'm not going to make you bear this alone, Kurosaki…" And he slipped an arm around him for comfort. "I'll help you as much as possible." Tsuzuki, in the meantime, watched their movements, intrigued and entranced by them. Looking down, he didn't see that which he had known his whole life. Instead of paws, he saw hands and feet; instead of soft fur, he felt smooth, but occasionally leathery-like skin. Nothing that he had now was familiar, but… there was something about it he couldn't complain about. For a very long time, he longed for this… for arms to hold his Hisoka in… Would he finally get that? Well, before he could, he would have to learn to use his new body, and Tatsumi wasted no time in getting that started. He sat with Tsuzuki on the floor and went over basic body movements with him. Tsuzuki was a bit confused at first, but soon, he was moving body parts he had no idea about before, and his tail swished around excitedly. Now and then, he would lean over and look at Hisoka, mewing at him. Hisoka remained sitting on the far end of the couch with a book in his hands, glancing up only once in a while. He hardly spoke…

Speaking… that's what he wanted to do! He opened his mouth… but nothing came out. How was it done? Every time he tried, only silent air or a mew popped out. Talking in human language sure was tough! It would take some practice… But once he learned how it was done, physically, it was sure to be a breeze! He understood most of the language, as far as he thought. It was frustrating, not being able to talk, to say even a single real word to the one he had so longed to speak with, but he knew he had to be patient. But… Hisoka didn't seem as interested in him as he was when he was just a cat. He hoped he could change his mind…

All too soon, however, it grew dark out and Tatsumi was getting ready to leave. Hisoka was reluctant to stay in the apartment alone with Tsuzuki, as he never felt before, but Tatsumi assured him he would be all right. Tsuzuki had always been in the apartment, even if he was something different. Still, as Tatsumi was laying out a blanket and pillow on the couch, Hisoka looked troubled.

"What if he… you know… tries to come in with me…? I don't think I can handle that…"

"Then just tell him 'no'." Tatsumi answered, looking up. "By now, he follows your instructions, doesn't he?"

"Yes, but… I don't know…" Hisoka sighed. "He tends to sleep in my bed… but now, it would just feel weird…! Is it wrong to feel so… insecure?" Hisoka's head lowered, feeling so many conflicting emotions, it was causing his head to pound. Tatsumi sympathized with him and went to his side, patting his head.

"It's not wrong… this is a new and scary experience, but believe me when I say you can handle it. Just take it slow… and if he disobeys, use a firm voice, and he'll understand you."

"I hope you're right…"

Tsuzuki was in the bathroom washing up like Tatsumi showed him, but he didn't like it. Hisoka wasn't there… It just wasn't the same. Climbing out of the tub, he almost slipped, but managed to land on his hand and knees. It hurt, not like when he was a cat, but he tried to ignore it and shook off before slipping into a pair of polka dot pajamas Tatsumi had given him. But he couldn't quite figure it out. He mewed a few times, alerting the others, and Tatsumi entered moments later to help him. Unlike Hisoka, Tatsumi didn't blush being so close to him, or touching his skin. Maybe he was used to this sort of thing? It was one of those many things he was having trouble understanding. Once he was dressed, he followed Tatsumi out, trying to walk like him, but not doing so well, and he saw Hisoka standing by his bedroom. Excited for what was to come next, what he missed the most while Hisoka was gone, he hurried closer, but was stopped when Hisoka let out a firm "stop."

Tsuzuki stopped and sat on the floor, eyes wide, mouth slightly open, and definitely confused. He… wasn't going to sleep with him? why not? Had he gotten in trouble? No, no matter how much trouble he had been in before, Hisoka ALWAYS let him sleep in his bed, so why now…? Experimentally, he scooted closer.

"Tsuzuki, NO!" Tsuzuki flinched. The look on his face was a mix of confusion, hurt, and guilt. It was a look that would have been difficult to ignore on a cat, but was even more unbearable on a human. Briefly, he considered letting him in, but he knew it couldn't be helped. His bed wasn't big enough, anyway- not to mention how awkward it would be, waking up next to a grown man… especially one that looked as handsome as him…

! Oh, gosh, Hisoka berated himself. Did he just think that? Now his mind was even more jumbled about. He needed sleep. Hisoka held his head, which worried Tsuzuki and made him come a little closer. This time, Hisoka spoke quieter, sounding more anxious and desperate.

"Tsuzuki, please... just… sleep on the couch…. Okay…?"

Something was wrong… Hisoka wasn't acting like himself. But there was no way Tsuzuki would make him feel worse, in any way, so despite his confusion and hurt, he made his way to the couch and crawled under the blanket. Tatsumi stayed for a while, making sure Tsuzuki stayed put and that Hisoka could manage, before he left, leaving the two in the dark, quiet apartment. Though they were only a room apart, somehow, they felt like a wide vast ocean lie between them… Both of them learned a painful lesson that night… That you can feel all alone… even in the company of someone you hold very close to you. …Used to hold close…


	11. Chapter 11

It was a quiet, lonely night… I couldn't sleep, for my head was far too full… full of questions, full of fear and wonder and a flurry of other emotions I didn't quite understand. Why had this happened…? Just because I wished it? Were wishes such powerful things that it could change an ordinary cat into a human? Somehow, it didn't seem right… I had seen some supernatural shows on the television before, but Hisoka had explained to me that things like that… magic… just weren't real. But if that were true, how could we explain this event? Seemed like magic to me. Then again, what do I know? Nothing… I know nothing…

Raising this strange new hand up above me, I study it closely. I have long fingers… slender… when I move them, I notice a wider range of movements than I ever had with paws… I could grasp things, I could carry things…. And…. What I want so badly…. Is to hold Hisoka. But Hisoka is afraid of me… he wont even come near me… This wasn't what I wanted. This wasn't what I wished for. All I wanted was to protect Hisoka; to make him happy; to be there for him in more ways than I could before. But now, this stupid wish has pushed him even farther from me. It hurts… I could feel my chest tightening, making it harder for me to breathe. There is a loud, firm pounding in my chest and somehow it makes me feel sick. I curled in on myself, trying to make the hurt go away but it just wont stop….! Then… I felt something new. Raising a large hand to my face, I felt something cold…. I knew all too well what this was…. I was…. crying. I'd seen Hisoka cry many times before, but not until now did I understand how it felt or what caused it…. Pain… like nothing I'd ever felt or imagined before… it hurt… I hurt inside and I didn't know how to make it stop!

But… my feline ears caught the sound of something, pulling me from my own sorrow… it was coming from Hisoka's room. I knew I wasn't allowed in there now, but I couldn't' help it… I found my unsteady feet moving across the cold wood floor to kneel in front of his door. My hearing was exceptional…. But this is something I wish I couldn't hear. Hisoka… Hisoka was crying, too… He was trying to keep it in like he usually did, stifling his cries, but I knew he was hurting… he was hurting just like I was. I caused this… my wish did this to us…. Wanting to be more was just too much to ask for. I ruined everything…. I pulled my knees to my chest, then, taking a spot against the wall and buried my face in my knees. It was uncomfortable, but it was no less than what I deserved. I had to make this right… somehow, I had to undo what I had done… I just wish I could apologize….. More tears streamed down over my cheeks as I stayed in that one place all night. I just…. I just wanted…..

"…Hi…so….."


	12. Chapter 12

Morning came quickly, and as usual, Tatsumi was up bright and early. He hardly slept… he just kept thinking about what had happened, and after waking, he got onto his laptop to do research. Three hours… and not one piece of information on how this strange event could have occurred. Well, he didn't expect to find anything, really. But he did get a good idea and left on his own for a while. At 8 am, he returned and let himself into Hisoka's apartment. It was quiet… Hisoka was probably either still asleep or hiding from Tsuzuki in his room. And speaking of which… when Tatsumi checked the sofa, Tsuzuki was nowhere to be seen. This worried him, but when he headed towards the door to Hisoka's bedroom, he spotted him, all curled up next to the boy's door. It was strange… seeing him that way. It was so… human…

Curious, Tatsumi reached out to touch Tsuzuki's head but before he could, that head shot up, a look of surprise and almost fear met him, completely taking Tatsumi off guard. But once Tsuzuki recognized who he was, Tsuzuki's expression softened, though something about him still looked… so sad.

"What's wrong, Tsuzuki…? You knew he wasn't going to let you in, didn't you?" Tsuzuki didn't answer. He couldn't… He wanted to, but there was a language barrier between them. Kneeling down, Tatsumi put himself at Tsuzuki's level.

"You… do you know who I am?" Tsuzuki nodded. He did know him.

"Remarkable…"

Hisoka was awake just beyond the door. He heard Tatsumi enter and quickly dressed. His hand reached out to turn the knob when he heard Tatsumi right at his door talking to…. Tsuzuki. He paused, hand suspended in the air… Tatsumi couldn't help but stare at the man before him… He was handsome… tall and slim… but he looked strong, too. Strong and… somehow gentle. Those strange eyes could only belong to the Tsuzuki he knew, and those fluffy ears and tail… If you ignore those, however, he was a very good looking young man. But… reaching out, Tatsumi touched Tsuzuki's cheek softly, noticing dried trails from tears.

"Tsuzuki, have you been crying?" That tore at Hisoka's heart for some reason. He'd been crying, too…? Was Tsuzuki just as confused and hurt by this crazy event as him? Tsuzuki… this was probably beyond anything he could imagine, being just a dumb cat… Hisoka had been avoiding him, too. For a moment, Hisoka recalled something the vet had said about animals thinking they're going to be abandoned. Is that what Tsuzuki feared? That Hisoka would abandon him because of this? Well, it wasn't as though he was a cat anymore and how strange would it be to keep him in his house? But… what was he supposed to do? Tsuzuki had no one else….

"Tsuzuki…" Tatsumi reassured, "I'm going to do what I can to help both of you… So don't cry, okay? Why don't you go into the bathroom and wash your face?" Tsuzuki, not sure what he meant, tried licking his paw, but Tatsumi stopped him.

"No, no… humans don't clean themselves that way. Remember? I showed you yesterday." Oh yeah… they use the sink and a washcloth… but… Tsuzuki shook his head.

"Mm…? No? Why not?" Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and it caused Tsuzuki to jump when Hisoka walked out. He didn't make direct eye contact….

"He knows… my routine. I use the bathroom in the morning." Tsuzuki nodded slowly… he wouldn't want to get in Hisoka's way.

"Is that so…?" Tatsumi rose. "Forgive me then. I suppose he would know you more than I would." Hisoka blushed at that…. Yes, Tsuzuki knew him… intimately. N-no! Not intimately! It's not the same! Tsuzuki was a cat before! His face was burning by now and he rushed off to the bathroom. When he returned, he saw Tatsumi and Tsuzuki sitting by the sofa. Tatsumi had a bunch of books spread out over the floor and a small kid's toy.

"What's with all these…?" Tatsumi looked up and smiled.

"They're children's books. To help with reading and understanding words. And this electronic device actually speaks when you type something in."

Tatsumi demonstrated by typing "cookie" into it and the device said the word aloud. Tsuzuki was instantly amazed by this contraption and he recognized the word, too! His tail swayed behind him excitedly. Hisoka almost smiled at that. Almost.

"You didn't have to get these things, you know…" If there was one person you didn't want to owe a debt it was Tatsumi.

"I wanted to. I thought it might help."

"Right…" Suddenly, Hisoka's stomach grumbled and not long after, so did Tsuzuki's. Tatsumi was suddenly faced with a problem. He knew that Hisoka didn't keep much food in the house… He wanted to take the boy out to eat, but it wasn't a good idea to take Tsuzuki out into public.

"What to do…" Hisoka was thinking the same thing… He wanted a real meal, but all he had were breakfast bars. Tsuzuki looked hungry… he wouldn't last on what little he used to eat before… but for now, it would have to do. Hisoka went to his little kitchen and got a plate, unwrapping several bars and brought them out to Tsuzuki.

"For now, you can eat these." All of them? Tsuzuki was amazed!

"Tatsumi…. Could we go out…?" Tatsumi understood this and rose.

"Right. We'll get you fed and I'll help with groceries. You'll need some real food now." Hisoka nodded, but he felt eyes on him and looked down at a concerned Tsuzuki.

"Don't worry… we'll… bring you back something more than that." That seemed to brighten Tsuzuki's spirits and Hisoka reached down to pet him….. but stopped. It… it was too weird… so he backed up, got his coat and left quickly. Tatsumi frowned, seeing a disappointed cat-man left sitting on the floor.

"Give him time…. We'll see you soon." Tatsumi followed Hisoka and Tsuzuki heard the click of the door locking. He was alone… he wanted so much to reconnect with Hisoka… Somehow, being a cat brought them closer than being human. But maybe there was a way to reach him… if he could only speak! He looked down at the books…. He understood most of the words, as Hisoka had read to him on many occasions, but the electronic device was what he was most interested in. If he could figure out how words were said… maybe he could learn it. But there was only one word he wanted to know and… well… he didn't know how it sounded! Looking around the apartment, Tsuzuki searched and searched for something that had his human's name written on it. He wanted to put it into the machine and hear it…! It took him a while, but he eventually found Hisoka's book bag and a paper with his name so neatly written on it. Now, Tsuzuki couldn't spell, but he was able to recognize what letters things were by matching them up on the machine. H… I… S… O… K…A… That was it… his human's name! He found the button that Tatsumi had pressed before and got close.

/Hisoka/ the device said aloud. Hisoka…Hisoka, that was it! Wow, it sounded so pretty! Hisoka, Hisoka! Oh wait, he was supposed to be trying to speak. How did it go…? Like a meow, only… using those human words, right? Hisoka spoke to him a lot… he spoke…. So Tsuzuki could, too.

"H….. H…." it was hard… he wasn't used to this sort of thing… but he couldn't give up!

"H…..i…." Oh! Another one! He said another letter! He tried over and over for an hour or more, until the letters became easier to say… he had to remember what he'd heard and to use his feelings and thoughts….

"Hi…so….ka…" He did it… he really did it! "Hiso..ka…. Hisoka….. Hisoka….!" He was so very excited! He spoke! He did it! Now, what else could he say? He wasn't sure how the other letters were pronounced…. He saw an alphabets book sitting nearby and opened it. A…. what did that sound like? He typed it into the machine and heard it aloud.

"A…. A!" Well that was easy! He repeated this for every other letter in the book, repeating them over and over until it seemed like second nature to him. He was learning… and speaking as though he knew how to all along. Hisoka… would he be proud of him? Would he be happy?

Tsuzuki practiced for a while later until he got through some of the kid's books. During that time, he almost forgot to eat, so he grabbed his snack which seemed less filling than usual and sat on the floor in front of the tv watching soaps. For the first time, he had a greater understanding for the words they spoke... before, he mostly looked at their faces and movements, but now he could understand what they meant… he started trying to repeat after them until he heard the familiar sound of keys at the front door. Tsuzuki wanted so badly to run to the door and meet HIsoka there, but it was too soon… so he stayed put and kept on watching. Hisoka entered first with a bag of groceries and Tatsumi followed with two others.

"Are you sure we need this much…?" Hisoka asked, sighing heavily as he set the large bag on the counter.

"You're feeding two now, and a human body requires more food than a cat." Hisoka sighed again. He nearly forgot… he was hoping that it was all just some bad dream, but when he glanced into the livingroom, there sat the man-cat known as Tsuzuki, calmly watching tv… and he was holding a breakfast bar not in his mouth but… in his hand. He was learning, adapting…. Hisoka was strangely entranced by him… fascinated, perhaps…. But then Tsuzuki looked at him and smiled, which brought a flush to Hisoka's face. He wanted to hide… but he couldn't keep doing that… He caused this mess so he couldn't act like it was Tsuzuki's fault. Clearing his throat and taking a moment to calm himself, he went into the livingroom with a forced stern look.

"You best not have made a mess while we were gone." Tsuzuki shook his head, still smiling.

"….Good." Hisoka went past him to set his coat on a rack in the corner, and that's when Tsuzuki did it.

"Hisoka." The blonde froze, suddenly stricken still by the unfamiliar voice behind him. Tatsumi, who had just then entered with drinks was frozen as well. Tsuzuki looked at Tatsumi and then at Hisoka's back several times, wondering if he'd chosen the wrong time to speak. Slowly, Hisoka turned, almost all color draining from his face and eyes wide as saucers… like the kind Hisoka would pour milk into.

"Wh…what….?" Had he not been heard? Well, he decided to try again, saying the name softer, the deep tone of his own voice strange to him.

"Hisoka…"

The boy's heart pounded in his chest. Who was this speaking his name…? Such a deep reverberating tone, such soft expressions… somehow it cut deeper and deeper into him. It was… almost alluring the way he spoke. Wait.. Tsuzuki couldn't…

"Did you… did you just… say my name…?" Happy that he was heard and understood, Tsuzuki nodded and his smile only widened again. Tatsumi set the drinks aside and sat in front of Tsuzuki.

"Maybe… maybe it's the only thing he knows…. Tsuzuki… tell me… am I Hisoka?" Tsuzuki shook his head.

"How about that over there? Is that Hisoka?" He pointed at the sofa, but again Tsuzuki shook his head. Then he pointed right at Hisoka and said it again so clearly…

"My…Hisoka…."

Hisoka nearly fainted right then and there. He felt like his head was spinning. This was all too much… Tsuzuki spoke… he said his name…. he knew who he was…. Perhaps it was the shock of it all and the lack of sleep, but darkness crept up on him and he collapsed. Tatsumi was about to step in, but Tsuzuki got to him first, catching the boy and cradling him in his strong, warm arms. Hisoka's consciousness waned for a moment and his eyes opened halfway. He couldn't hear… but he felt warm all over… warm and safe. And above him was a worried face…. A face…. He almost didn't recognize save for those ears and those brilliant… unmistakable amethyst orbs…. He was calling his name over and over worriedly… but Hisoka couldn't hear… he just needed to rest…


	13. Chapter 13

His head was pounding… Hisoka felt somehow sick to his stomach as he drifted in that dark and hazy place within him. What was happening to his life? Why… why did he have to lose that which he loved the most? The one constant source of positivity in his life was so painfully ripped away from him, but why? Tsuzuki… His dear companion; his only friend… Tsuzuki…

Wake up, Hisoka, he told himself. Wake up from this dream and get back to reality. Wake up from this unbelievable, messed up fantasy and get back to your real life! He was so sure that this was all just one big hallucination and he'd wake up to his blaring alarm and Tsuzuki gently licking his cheek to wake him. He hoped that when he woke up everything would go back to normal.

Tsuzuki…

Ah… he did feel something… Tsuzuki… Tsuzuki was probably trying to wake him right then, so Hisoka struggled to regain consciousness. Tsuzuki was probably so worried about him, and hungry… surely he was hungry- he always was.

"Tsuzuki…" Hisoka repeated over and over until his eyes finally opened to see a worried Tatsumi hovering over him with a damp cloth in hand. So it hadn't been Tsuzuki… well, that didn't mean anything. He was probably ill. Yeah, he had to be pretty sick to think that a cat would turn into a human.

"Mr. Tatsumi…" He said softly, tiredly.

"Thank goodness you're awake. How do you feel?"

"What happened?" Hisoka asked, ignoring the other's inquiry.

"You collapsed suddenly." Collapsed…? Well, that explained it. He must have been sick, but he was feeling better now. Maybe, hopefully, all that WAS just some dream. Tatsumi supported Hisoka as the boy sat up in bed, his head spinning somewhat, but not terribly.

"Where is Tsuzuki?" the boy asked, looking up at the elder.

"He's in the next room with Watari." Tatsumi answered, getting the boy a bottled water from the bedside table.

"Mr. Watari is here, too?" Tatsumi nodded, but before he could say more, a loud feline-like yowl sounded from the livingroom, startling the youth. Without a moment's hesitation, Hisoka sprang from his bed intending to run to the aid of him small furry companion. He threw open the door, but instead of seeing a small cat, he saw Watari sitting atop a very human Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki's shirt was pushed up high and Watari was fondling him and tweaking his cat ears, completely fascinated by the beautifully sculpted body before him.

"It's so real!" He said aloud, pulling on those ears which caused Tsuzuki to whimper and squirm under him pathetically. Hisoka's eye twitched, and he stared at the two on the floor without amusement in his eyes.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop molesting my…cat." Both men looked up.

"Oh, Bon! Glad to see you're feeling better!"

"Hisoka…" Tsuzuki spoke up, his face changing from one to terror to one of- well, he looked like of pathetic to Hisoka, but then he struggled a bit more and finally got free of the man, running behind Hisoka for protection. Hisoka, for one was still… in shock. So it was real… Tsuzuki, once safely behind Hisoka, hissed at Watari, who merely laughed it off, but Hisoka couldn't allow that behavior, so he looked over his shoulder and spoke in a firm tone.

"Tsuzuki, bad!" And just like that, Tsuzuki went silent, his ears moving back and his tail curling between his legs. He had a guilty look on his face, one much easier to recognize on a human face.

"Watari…" Tatsumi walked out of the bedroom, giving the taller blonde a look of warning as he pushed his glasses up. "You promised you'd behave yourself if I left you alone with him."

"Hai hai, I know!" The other answered. Tsuzuki turned to him and whined.

"He pulled my ears!"

"Poor thing…"

Wait… had he heard that right? Tsuzuki was speaking… not just repeating the same word over and over, but actually making sentences. Hisoka turned to face him, wearing a look of surprise similar to before, worrying Tsuzuki and Tatsumi who thought he was about to collapse again.

"Wait.. when did this happen…? How can you speak like normal?"

"Eh?" Tsuzuki blinked at him. "Oh, I practiced while listening to the box!"

"The box….?" Tsuzuki pointed at the television. They say that tv rots your brain, but in this case, it had the opposite effect. This was just unreal… maybe it was all some practical joke the others were playing on him… Hisoka moved wordlessly to the sofa and sat, staring off into space. He had to still be dreaming… He had to be… Where was Tsuzuki? Where was his companion, his pet, his only confidant…? He missed him, he needed him… he wanted to wrap his arms around him and pet him and bury his face in that soft fur. He knew how Tsuzuki smelled….. he knew his scent, his feel, and whenever they cuddled, he felt light as clouds. Where had that gone? Where was his security? Suddenly broken from his thoughts by a strange sensation, Hisoka's eyes cleared and he saw Tsuzuki's handsome face closing in on his own, his large hands cupping his face ever so gently… How had he gotten so near without the boy noticing? Hisoka's face instantly lit up, frozen in place. What was he doing? What was going on?! Watari for one, was having fan spasms and snapped a few pictures with his camera phone.

"Hisoka… what's wrong…?" The boy nearly blew his top then and there, and he quickly shoved Tsuzuki away from him, startled. Tsuzuki fell back, his eyes wide and full of hurt. What had he done wrong? When someone was upset on the soaps, the one closest to them would get up close like that, but… maybe… Tsuzuki was no longer the one close to him. Hisoka realized too late how his rash actions had affected Tsuzuki, but he was still in shock. He somehow knew that Tsuzuki hadn't meant any harm in it, but before he could apologize, Tsuzuki crawled off towards the "bad cat" corner where he was sometimes sent as punishment. He pulled his knees to his chest, tail curling around him and buried his head in his knees. He looked like a pouting child, but Tsuzuki didn't know any better… he may as well be a child.

"Aw, Bon, you made him sad! Look!" Watari thought he was adorable, and anyone looking at him could find him attractive- if not for the feline ears and tail.

"This is difficult for both of you.." Tatsumi sighed and sat next to Hisoka, trying to calm the boy down. "Kurosaki doesn't know how to behave around Tsuzuki, and Tsuzuki just plain doesn't know how to be human. It's strange that he can speak so well… and understand human words!" The brunette looked over at him. "Can you explain this, Tsuzuki?" But Tsuzuki shook his head. Watari smiled and decided to test a theory.

"Tell me, do you hear a voice in your head?" Tsuzuki's ears perked up.

"A voice…?"

"That's right. Like someone talking inside your head."

"…I don't… understand, but... I do think about stuff…"

"I didn't know cats were capable of thinking…" Hisoka said, which was a little upsetting to Tsuzuki. "What sort of things do you think about?"

Tsuzuki opened his mouth to answer, having waited so very long to share his thoughts, but then…. Right then, something in the back of his mind told him to stop. Considering Hisoka's reactions to their current situation, he had to wonder… Would the words he truly wanted to speak make him smile… or would they hurt him? Hisoka was his very special person and the last thing he ever wanted was to hurt him! His thoughts had never before been so complex that he was at a loss as to how to act. Now unsure of what to do, and with all eyes fixed on him, Tsuzuki did something he had never done before…. He lied.

"I uh.. well, I think about food!" The other sighed and backed away, shaking their heads, and for one, Hisoka almost looked…. Disappointed. Was that the wrong thing to say? Did he knew it was a lie? In his attempt to save Hisoka from pain, he'd ended up causing it. Now that he had tried it, Tsuzuki decided that he absolutely hated lying.

"Well, why don't we eat then?" Watari said, getting back up. "Where should we go?"

"What do you mean 'go'?" Hisoka responded, eyes widening. "We can't take him outside! No way!" Tsuzuki's ears went back.

"why not? Throw a hat and trench coat on him and nobody will notice!"

"We don't know how he'll react in public! Something could go wrong! He could get lost or cause trouble or…. Or someone could see him and…!" And then he would be taken away.

Hisoka stopped, the truth finding its way to the surface. That's what he was afraid of. He didn't fear what others would think, but the possibility of losing Tsuzuki terrified him. Hisoka suddenly found himself conflicted. Could it be that he cared about Tsuzuki still? Even like this? Tsuzuki wasn't Tsuzuki anymore…. was he?

"It….it's okay…" Tsuzuki quietly spoke up, drawing Hisoka from his musings. "You three can go…. I'll be okay here."

"All by yourself?" Watari asked with a frown.

"I'm a pet…. I'm used to spending time alone…" The somber tone of his voice just cut right through Hisoka… He sounded so lonely… so dejected… is this how pets feel when they're left at home alone? Is this how Tsuzuki felt when he was forced to stay with the vets when he was injured?

"But there isn't much food here and you can't cook…" Tatsumi agreed with Watari. There was a risk, but Tsuzuki's new body needed proper nutrition.

"I can probably still eat my old food…"

"…He's probably right. Tsuzuki lacks tastebuds." Hisoka said, jokingly. But this was no joking matter… he knew the others were right, so he sighed and held out his hand, facing away. "…Come."


	14. Chapter 14

Hisoka's POV

I think my life is over…

Leaving the apartment has so far proven to be one of the biggest and I must say, the most embarrassing decisions I've ever made. Forget the face that Tsuzuki can't cook or that he might be lonely… if I knew this was going to happen, I would have left him there to eat his cat chow. I mean, part of him was still a cat, so what harm could it do, right? But noooo…. We took the time to find just the right clothing to disguise him: a long black trench coat just barely long enough to hide his fluffy tail. However, that was hardly effective as his tail would wag whenever he saw something fascinating, which was…. just about everything. He complained constantly about the hat, too, saying he couldn't move his ears as he needed to. We ended up stopping to find a secluded area every now and then so he could take it off and move them, but that didn't help for long. On the way to the restaurant, he also kept seeing various animals wandering about and would either act curious and approach them in a very conspicuous way or hiss at them. I took my eyes off of him for just a moment and he wandered off to follow a bird.

After eating, Watari and Tatsumi wandered into a random clothing shop to look for more clothes which left me sitting with Tsuzuki on a bench. It was not a good idea to leave me alone with this overzealous cat-man… not a good idea at all! I had to remind him several times to just sit still, but he was still so curious about everything… When I gave him a hard look, however, he shut his mouth for a while and just sat there. However, it seemed that even doing nothing drew attention to him, as a small group of girls soon passed by and they were staring at him, blushing and giggling like he was some great catch.

A great catch….huh…? I stole a glance at him- well, maybe more than a glance- and took in his appearance. He sat up straight, hair combed, suit nicely pressed…. His face looked… so calm and gentle, and there was so much life in those strange-colored eyes… no one would be able to guess that just a short time ago this tall, handsome man was just a cat…. My cat…. Yes, Tsuzuki was mine…. But as a human, what were we to each other? Certainly not master and pet… so what then? What were we? Tsuzuki spotted me looking finally and gave me a sweet smile. Not a goofy one or a creepy one… it was… almost alluring. This look caused me to blush and so I turned my head away quickly. What was I thinking anyway? I can't stand how he's looking at me so I stand up and excuse myself. I hear him calling for me, but I just walk… I need time to myself to think.

I need to seriously think about how things will go from now on. Will I ever get my best friend back? Will my cute and cuddly kitty come back to me someday or will I be stuck with this man who seems so strangely familiar to me? What will the future hold for us? What will I do…? Will he leave? Will I again be alone to face this dark and cruel world? Or… if he does turn back, how could things ever be as they were? Could I ever look at him the same having known him as a human? And how did I really feel about that? My earlier thoughts haunted me… did I actually think he was handsome? What does that even mean?

My thoughts were then rudely interrupted as I bumped into someone. Looking up, I realized just how much trouble I was in. One of the local thugs stood towering above me and he wasn't the type of person you wanted to run into. I glance around me only to realize I'd walked far away from the others… I was alone. The thug shoved me back and I almost fell over. I tried to apologize for my thoughtlessness but he wasn't listening.. he threw a punch at me which I was somehow able to avoid. Not making contact with my delicate jaw, however, only enraged him further and when he threw another, I shut my eyes tightly in the hopes of preparing myself for the painful blow. …but it never came. Instead, I felt something warm wrap around me… I felt safe.

Slowly, cautiously, I opened my eyes and what I saw astonished me. The fist which had been aimed at me had been caught by a strong hand and a firm arm was wrapped protectively around me. I couldn't comprehend what had happened at first… someone saved me… and when I looked up, it was none other than Tsuzuki… His eyes looked fierce, wild…. Protective… I had no idea he could be like this! I was stuck still in his arms as he threw the man's fist away and growled at the man who seemed somehow frightened by Tsuzuki's look and stature. He fled soon after and when he did, Tsuzuki's expression gradually softened before looking back down at me worriedly. I was in shock which seemed to worry him… he knelt down in front of me and put his large, warm hands on my face, eyes shimmering with concern.

"Hisoka… are you okay….?"

"Tsu…Tsuzuki…." His thumb lightly stroked my cheek, sending shivers down my spine and causing my face to flush uncontrollably. I couldn't speak… I couldn't move… what just happened had me completely dumbfounded. When…

When… had he become so human…?

Maybe… maybe I was wrong…


	15. Chapter 15

Something has changed, I think... Ever since our day out, Hisoka has been acting strangely. He's been very quiet, reserved, and when he looks at me, he blushes and averts his eyes. Have I done something to upset him again? I thought he was warming up to me, and after I saved him from those boys... something about that time must have triggered something between us. The look of surprise in Hisoka's eyes astonished and confused me. Human emotions are.. difficult to understand. Hisoka is at school right now and here I sit in his lonely box staring at the blank television screen. I don't have the heart to turn it on to see what drama unfolds in those moving pictures. I've had just about all I could take. Who needed to watch soaps when you're living one? Suddenly I hear keys and look up to see Watari-san walk through the door.

"Hey, what's up!" He greets me, leaving his shoes at the door. When he walks over, he glances at the television briefly. "Isn't your show on right now? Want someone to watch it with?"

"I don't think I'll watch it anymore." I reply softly. Watari-san seems surprised by this, sitting down on the sofa next to me.

"Eh? Why not? Even as a kitty, you loved that show!"

"I know, but... I feel differently now that I understand the emotions in them... sometimes when watching them, my chest feels tight... and I feel strange..." Human emotions weren't meant to be understood by other species and I have to say, it's been hard getting used to them. As a cat, I wasn't able to properly express how I felt, but now... I don't know what I feel.

"Maybe Hisoka was right... saying that those shows would rot my brain... I got carried away and ended up getting hurt... Maybe some force out there put me in this body as a punishment..."

"Do you feel like you're being punished?"

"Maybe..." I said, holding my head in my hand. "All I ever wanted was a human of my own... my Hisoka was that person and he loved me... but now... like this... it's not the same. He doesn't hold me or pet me, or bathe with me... the wonderful connection we shared s gone now, but even if I were to change back, would we be able to go back to that time? Or... is it ruined?"

Watari was truly astounded by my words... he stared in awe at me, eyes softening with understanding.

"Tsuzuki..."

"I never knew human emotions were so intense... they're heavy and... scary."

"Scary? What do you mean?"

"Well... I felt emotions as a cat... I got excited and I felt playful, too... and I knew I adored Hisoka... but now whenever I think about it, it just... hurts. Things I loved doing I can't do anymore, and things I so longed for I'm afraid to even try... Hisoka... I'm afraid he'll leave me and again I'll be all alone."

"Tsuzuki have you... talked to Bon about this?" But I merely shook my head. "I think you should!"

How could I? I was afraid of losing the only person I ever bonded with.

"I probably... never should have wished to be human in the first place."

"You wished for it? Why?"

"...to... tell Hisoka something... in words he could understand..." Watari questioned me further but that was all I was going to say.

–

Here I am at school, ignoring my teacher's lecture... it's not all that important to me, anyway. I'm a good enough student that missing a lecture or two wouldn't hurt much. I had much more important things to think about. This situation with my cat... enough time has passed that I have come to fully accept that it isn't just in my imagination. It's real... he's real... so what was supposed to happen now? How did this even happen to begin with? I don't know... but I'm forced to come to terms with it and the idea that it could be permanent. What should I do if he never returns to being a cat? What should I do if he DOES return to that form? Could we go back to our old routine like nothing ever happened? no...I don't think we could. I've known him as a human, seen him, talked to him and... I've been held by him.

Thinking back, I don't think I've ever felt such warmth before... There was a protective look in his eyes that could not be ignored... a level of emotion that I thought was beyond such an innocent creature. Tsuzuki was there for me whenever I needed him, day or night... when I was happy he'd play with me, and even when I was studying. When I was cold at night, he'd curl up against me and his soft purring would help me sleep. And even when I was sad, he was there to mewl and nuzzle me and lightly lick my cheek...

Where was that Tsuzuki now? Where was my best friend? My companion? How do I even know that same Tsuzuki still exists? Is he even still in there or is this man who took his place merely a doppleganger trying to trick me? Who was this human who took the place of my dear pet cat?

Come to think of it... for the longest time, I treated him as though he were a real person, but now that he was... I was shunning him. How could I hate him for something that wasn't his own fault?

Was it wrong... that I wished for this to happen?

Suddenly my vision starts to blur and my stomach churns. The feelings I was able to suppress this morning with pills is coming back and with a vengeance. I hug my stomach tightly, trying to either will the nausea away and stare at the clock on the wall, willing it to move just a little faster. Relieved that it is my last class, I count the seconds until three when the bell finally chimes. The teacher assigns homework for the lecture I was completely ignoring but I walk out of the classroom before she's finished. I'm not interested in anything but finding some relief. I walk blearily down he hall, barely noticing how the people walking about appear as no more but indiscernible blobs, though their voices sure are loud... I hurry past them best I can and rush down the stairs.

However, in my haste, I misstep and am rewarded by a less than satisfying twinge of pain in my ankle. Just another perk to being me, I guess... Still, I need to get out of this place, so I hobble onward, grateful when the front doors come into view. I walk towards them and push them open, but they seem about five times heavier than they should be. Instantly I am assaulted by bright light from that irritating orb in the sky which caused my head to pound and my eyes to hurt terribly. Growling, I continue onward to the front gate, but before I could reach it, a head of bright blonde hair peeks around the gate's edge and smiles at me.

"There you are, Bon!"

"W...Watari-san...? What are you doing here...?" I ask softly.

"We wanted to come meet you!"

'We'? And sure enough, a head of brown, a warm smile and bright purple eyes are on me next.

"Tsuzuki..." I never expected this... that he would come meet me at school. Still, it seemed... somehow right. Or maybe that was my illness talking. Immediately, Tsuzuki's expression changed and as my vision darkens, I see him frowning and rushing towards me worriedly.

"Hisoka!" His voice is so strong and clear... unlike anything I've ever heard before... and unlike anything I may ever hear again...

Tell me, world... Did I make the right wish...?


	16. Chapter 16

"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki shouted worriedly, springing forward to catch the poor boy as he fell. The brunette pulled Hisoka close and lightly touched his cheek, instantly feeling heat radiating off of him. He looked up at Watari worriedly who took one look at the boy and decided that they should return home. Nodding, Tsuzuki lifted the boy completely and held him tightly against his chest as they walked. Hisoka groaned distressed as they went and at one point, his small hand which once seemed so big gripped the front of his white dress shirt. So strange, Tsuzuki thought. He was used to Hisoka being so big but in his arms… he was the small one. And he needed him.

He needed him.

Once back at the apartment, Tsuzuki laid Hisoka down in bed while Watari changed him into a long shirt and examined him. The boy was still moaning throughout the examination so Tsuzuki followed his human instincts and held his hand. It was so warm, so small… and so soft. He ran his thumb over the back of his hand and felt Hisoka's fingers lightly curl around, holding him back.

"It's a cold…" Watari sighed. "Just a cold." Tsuzuki had seen Hisoka sick before, but he had always been helpless before, forced to watch him suffer through it. But now… now he was able to do something. Lifting his head, Tsuzuki spoke.

"Can I help him?" Watari looked surprised… but pleased as well. He nodded his head and disappeared for only a minute, returning with a bowl of water and a small towel. While he was out, Tsuzuki drew the blinds to that the light would not bother him and tucked the covers tightly around him. Watari couldn't help but notice how comfortable and used to this Tsuzuki was. It was hard to believe that only a short time ago he was a cat… he was acting so very… human. When they were sure Hisoka was resting comfortably, Watari led Tsuzuki away- though he was reluctant to leave his charge- and into the kitchen, where the real work began. He had to teach the cat-man how to make soup. It would have been easy enough to just open a can and heat it, but that wasn't good enough for Tsuzuki, so they used fresh ingredients. The first attempt ended in… monumental failure. And the second attempt. And the third. But Tsuzuki would not give up… it took a few hours, and he cut himself a few times, but he was finally able to create something edible. Watari patted his head, watching over the simmering soup and sent Tsuzuki back in to Hisoka.

Not long after, Hisoka regained consciousness, his strained eyes trying to focus in the dim room. It was clear that he was at home in his own room and not at the school where he recalled collapsing but that was good. His stomach complained loudly, both from the desire to be fed and at the same time protesting the very idea of food. Would he be able to keep anything down? He couldn't be sure, as he just felt like crap. His eyes fell closed again as the idea of falling back asleep felt tempting—that was, until movement to his left got his attention. He opened his eyes again and lightly turned his head, expecting in his haze to see his loyal kitty laying nearby to comfort him. …he wasn't far off. Tsuzuki was there, sitting in a chair next to the bed, hunched over and letting his upper half rest atop the covers. His face was calm, his breath came softly and his face was right by his hand, nuzzling it softly as he slept. Hisoka couldn't help but stare in awe. This scene, though different, felt so familiar to him and perhaps for the first time since this farce began… he saw him for who he was. Right there was the evidence he had been looking for that his dear companion was still in there.

"There you are… Tsuzuki…"

Tsuzuki's ears twitched at the sound of his name, though he didn't wake, and Hisoka reached out to scratch between those soft mounds of fur. At that, Tsuzuki smiled, humming softly instead of purring. So this was it… wasn't it? He was staring his future in the face… All those years hoping for a companion when he had one all along… and this man before him wasn't a stranger… he was… In the middle of his internal monologue, Tsuzuki's eyes lightly opened, blinking sleepily until he saw Hisoka's eyes on him. Then… he smiled. It was soft, sweet, loving… Just like the face of a lover…

"You're awake… Hisoka…" Tsuzuki sat up and placed a hand over Hisoka's forehead, feeling his fever still present.

"Still warm… Here, I'll help." He sounded so serious, so caring, so… As he pulled his hand back to retrieve the cloth to dip it in the bowl of water, Hisoka spotted a bandaid on one of his fingers, sitting up to instinctively grab the hand. His sudden response startled Tsuzuki and his eyes went wide.

"Tsuzuki, what happened to you?"

"Ah… It's just a small cut…"

"A cut…" Hisoka met his eyes which seemed to glow in the dark. "How did you cut yourself, baka?" Tsuzuki laughed softly and rubbed the back of his head, not at all offended by the soft insult. Actually it was like a nickname to him. Watari walked in with a hot bowl of soup and answered for him.

"He was making soup for you and accidentally got his finger with the knife!"

"Cutting… You used a knife?!" Hisoka asked, voice raising. "You can't! You could seriously…!" halfway through his lecture, however, his voice cracked and he broke into a fit of coughing. Immediately, Tsuzuki was sitting beside him on the bed, lightly rubbing his back until he finished. Hisoka decided that raising his voice was a bad idea for a while.

"Hisoka… here, drink some water…" Tsuzuki rose a glass to his lips and with a shy blush, Hisoka opened his mouth and let his companion help him drink. This was weird… it was good, but weird… when he was finished, Tsuzuki set the glass down, but didn't move away.

"Bon, you've got quite the cold, so you shouldn't be yelling like that." Watari shook his finger at him, causing Hisoka to pout so very cutely… "Here, why not try to eat some soup. Tsuzuki made it just for you!"

"That's a scary thought…" Hisoka responded and immediately, Tsuzuki's ears went back. Was it no good because it was something he made? Did Hisoka not want it…? He smelled it suspiciously at first, then tried a bit…

"…it's okay…" Okay… just okay? The brunette was more than a little disappointed. Good thing cats didn't stay depressed for long, right? But… he wasn't a cat anymore, and Hisoka's words somehow cut through him deeper than before. With every disappointing look or sound, with every lecture… Tsuzuki wondered if this could work out after all. Ears staying back, Tsuzuki slowly moved away from Hisoka as he ate, sitting back in his chair. The sudden loss of contact caused the boy to shiver and when he looked over, he saw the sadness etched all over his face.

"Tsuzuki…"

The air in the room was getting a little stuffy, so Watari thought of something to talk about to lighten the mood.

"Oh! I saw on the news that there will be a major event a few nights from now!" Hisoka looked back his way.

"What kind of event?"

"There will be a meteor shower! You know, like a lot of shooting stars all at once! Talk about a lot of wishes!"

"Don't be silly…" Hisoka said, looking down at his soup and the oddly-cut vegitables.

"Make a wish…" Tsuzuki said, ears perking up slightly.

"You know what that is, Tsuzuki?" Watari asked, to which Tsuzuki replied with a nod.

"I… saw one some nights ago… when Hisoka was gone. I heard about shooting stars from Hisoka and thought I should try it… but… maybe I shouldn't have."

Hisoka nearly choked on his soup, looking over in amazement… or was it devastation?

"You made a wish?" Tsuzuki lightly nodded his head. "On… on that star?"

"Yeah…" No way… it had to be a coincidence! Watari looked between them and the strangest idea started to form in his head.

"Bon… did you wish on that star, too?"

"O-of course not! …Well… I was thinking about Tsuzuki all that time… thinking that he couldn't take care of himself like a human could…"

"So it's possible you were thinking about it on the same night when the shooting star appeared!" Watari was looking increasingly… eccentric.

"Just what are you getting at?"

"Maybe… the wishes you made together were the same and THAT'S why Tsuzuki transformed!" The idea sounded completely ridiculous to Hisoka, but Tsuzuki was far more gullible and he leaned forward .

"Is that what happened?"

"Oh please…" Hisoka groaned, covering his face. "That's impossible!'

"Well, isn't a cat turning into a human impossible, too? Do you have another explanation for this, Bon?" Hisoka thought about it a moment before sighing. It was dumb, but he really didn't have any other theories. So, with a sigh, he looked back up, speaking almost jokingly.

"So to fix it, we just have to wait two days and wish on those stars for him to turn back, right?"

That was a shot straight to the heart… hearing Hisoka utter those words made Tsuzuki's chest tighten and his ears lower. So Hisoka… really did hate him like this. He saw this change as a mistake that needed to be corrected… That's how he really felt… well, at least he knew now. This was a mistake…

"Ah, well I suppose that's how it works… but are you sure-"

"Two days, right?" All eyes went to Tsuzuki, who was hiding his disappointment. "If it's what Hisoka wants, then that's what we'll do.. we'll wait two days… and then things… will be better." Tsuzuki stood up and patted Hisoka on the head. "So rest up until then… okay, Hisoka?" Hisoka couldn't speak. He was struck by the low, serious tone of his voice which was heavy with…sorrow? Before he had a chance to say anything, Tsuzuki was out of the room, out of his reach. Why was he acting like that? This was what they both wanted…

Wasn't it?


End file.
